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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Strawberry Santas with Cream Cheese

I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I saw this picture posted on Facebook.  When I tried to pin it to Pinterest, I got a message that I could not pin directly off Facebook.  There was no link...and no recipe....so I'm creating one through my blog.  I played around with the recipe and found this one to work quite well.
I don't know who to credit this photo to.  Their Santa's looked much cuter than mine!


Strawberry Santas

1 lb large strawberries
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar (or sugar substitute - to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Instructions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top, (enough for a hat). I scooped out enough of the pulp of the hat so that it will fit over the filling.  Scoop out most of the insides of the strawberry with a paring knife, if necessary - some of them are hollow already. Prep all of the strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.
3. Once strawberries are filled, top with the 'hats.' Decorate according to photo.
4. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.
I didn't know what to use for the eyes, but I'm thinking I'll buy one of those little chocolate cake decorating tubes you find in the baking aisle of the grocery store and pipe on just a smidgeon!  Wouldn't this be a cute appetizer at a Christmas gathering?

Update on 12/18/12:  I made some of these quickly this afternoon for a party tonight.  I didn't pipe out the filling so they were a little lop-sided and I used blue sprinkles for the eyes.  The black eyes look much better.  The Santa's looked more like they were from Mars, but still yummy.  Just not quite as cute as the original photo above. 

Wishing all my followers a very Merry Christmas!

16 comments:

  1. Hello Glenda
    Just going through some old posts in my reader and it looks like I missed this one.
    Don't those little Santas look fun - I must try them sometime - doesn't have to be this festive time.
    And for some reason I'm wondering what strawberries taste like filled with cream cheese - say Phylly Or even cottage cheese?? Must try that sometime as well lol
    Take care
    Cathy

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    1. Good to hear from you Cathy! I plan to make the little Santa's to take to a party. I'll try to make a photo and post it when I do.

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  2. Use mini Chocolate chips for eyes!

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    1. Love the idea of the mini chocolate chips for the eyes! Thanks for the tip!

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  3. Those eyes look like black sesame seeds. ^_^

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  5. I saw this on Facebook, too, and have been contemplating making it as an "appetizer" or dessert at Christmas Eve dinner. They're so cute, and I bet they're tasty.

    Shannon at Writing From the Peak

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  6. So fun! I like the way they would look just as hats, without eyes! It's fruit & dip in one! I'm going to make these for my family party~thanks for sharing!

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  7. Hi, just wanted to say that they are received very well at parties. I put powdered sugar down on the dish before putting the Santa's down. It looks like they are sitting in snow. Start the project early as they do take some time. Well worth the time!!! Thanks for the idea!

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    1. Thanks Barbara for the tip. That's a great idea!

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  8. This is so cute! I think flax seeds would work well for the eyes

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  9. Hi there,

    I had a bit of trouble making these and wasn't sure if there was something I was missing. The cream cheese filling was so delicious but unfortunately "melted" right down the sides...I was unable to get the hats to stay on since the "face" section would spill...almost liquid like. Still totally delicious though :) Is there something I missed??

    Also for the eyes/buttons, I used chocolate sprinkles (the long shape makes it easy to insert them)

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    1. Hi, it may have been that you softened the cream cheese too much. The first time I made these, I had forgotten to leave the cream cheese out of the refrigerator so I softened it in the microwave. After I added the sugar, it seemed too gooey to work with, so I put it back in the fridge for about 20 minutes and it was perfect. The next time, I softened it for about an hour. They've held up really well at parties - of course they're usually one of the first appetizers to go because they're so darn cute!

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  10. I bet white chocolate instant pudding with reduced milk or cream would be amazing too!

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