While searching for some delicious bite-sized treats for a friend's baby shower at work, I stumbled across a great idea - strawberries and cream with a twist... the whipped cream is inside of the strawberries! No dipping required. To make these ahead of time, I knew the whipped cream wouldn't stand up on it's own without getting runny. My solution was to add some mascarpone cheese to the filling which would keep it thick without changing the delicious flavor in a bad way. The result was a success! Give these a try, they are delicious! :o)
Strawberries Filled with Mascarpone Cream
Makes approximately 2 dozen
Ingredients
2 lb. fresh strawberries
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese, cold
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Make the filling: using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the cream and mascarpone until thick. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Mixture should be thick like whipped cream.
Assemble the strawberries: Cut the green tops off of the strawberries so they stand up straight. Starting at the tip of the strawberry, cut an X going 3/4 of the way to the bottom (don't cut all the way through). Using a piping bag with a medium star tip (or a baggie with the corner cut off) fill each strawberry with the filling.
