While this easy dessert was developed for celebrating the 4th of July, it’s a terrific summer dish for any celebration.  Your guests will experience the delicious taste of strawberry cheesecake and have fun eating at the same time.

Just be sure to hide it until dessert time.  We brought it to a function a few years ago and the guests ate it before the main meal was served.  Though kids loved the fruit and crème cheese mixture, they did pick off the almonds so you may want to leave them out.  Actually, even Greg prefers them without the almonds and I’ll be leaving them out this 4th of July.

Stuffed Strawberries for the 4th

20-25 fresh strawberries
35 fresh blueberries
8 oz. cream cheese
3 T. confectioners sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 pinch of cinnamon (optional)
1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted (if desired)

1. Wash and dry fresh strawberries. Carefully trim the bottom of each berry so that it will stand up on a plate. With a melon baller, scoop off the top and stem. The berry will be hollow inside.
2. In a mixer, whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add confections sugar, vanilla and pinch of cinnamon. Beat until fully combined.
3. Fill a medium size Ziploc bag with the cream cheese mixture. Cut off a corner of the bag to make it function like a pastry bag.
4. Gently squeeze the cream cheese through the open corner of the bag and carefully fill each strawberry with a generous amount of cream cheese. Top each strawberry with a blueberry (and 2 almond slices if desired). Serve.