Baking with Olivia and Caroline

If you have big plans for the Fourth of July, we hope you’ll add these easy no-bake cheesecake stuffed strawberries to your dessert table. They’re simple to assemble and require no oven time – only a few minutes whipping the cream and cream cheese. Honestly, isn’t that a win right there!

Best of all, they fit perfectly into the red, white, and blue theme of Independence Day celebrations. With the strawberry season in full swing, now is the ideal time to take advantage of those beautiful, juicy, bright-red berries that are showing up at farm stands and markets everywhere. Or check out the numerous local pick-your-own farms in the area. There are too many for us to list! Heading to our local farms to pick fruit is one of our favorite weekend activities. 

For our filling, we are keeping things simple with a creamy, vanilla-almond cheesecake mixture that complements the sweetness of the strawberries without overpowering them. But don’t be afraid to get creative and make them your own. A little grated lemon zest adds a fresh, summery brightness, while crushed Oreos or graham crackers adds a little crunch and more sweetness. If you love sweet-and-salty desserts, try folding in some crushed pretzels for a bit of contrast. You could even swap out the blueberries that we topped them with and substitute kiwi, black raspberries, a drizzle of melted chocolate, or sprinkles! Go wild! Our recipes are made to be tweaked to your own likes and desires.

I have to give a shout out to Millerton, NY, where I reside. As you may know or may not know, the village is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year. There is a lot going on from July 11–19. You can check out the Village of Millerton’s website villageofmillerton-ny.gov for a list of festivities planned for the entire week. 

As always, enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• Fresh blueberries (optional)
• Crushed graham crackers for dusting (optional)

Directions

• In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream with ¼ cup powdered sugar and the vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
• In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the remaining ¼ cup powdered sugar and almond extract until smooth and creamy.
• Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined and light in texture.
• Wash and dry the strawberries, then slice them in half. We left the stems on, which isn’t necessary but looked pretty. Using a small spoon or melon baller, carefully scoop out a bit of the center of each strawberry to create space for the filling.
• Transfer the cheesecake mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe into each strawberry half. If you don’t have a pastry bag, a small spoon works almost as well.
• Garnish with fresh blueberries and a dusting of crushed graham crackers, if desired. •

Olivia and Caroline are enthusiastic foodies and bakers who are constantly in the kitchen, as well as explorers who create their own adventures in our area – and did we mention they are mother and daughter? Follow Olivia on Instagram to see her many creations at @oliviawvalentine.