4th of July Stuffed Strawberries
Block parties are back, baby!
Okay, let me backtrack a bit. For over a decade, my street has been having a block party every year on the 4th of July. What started as a small get together with just a few neighbors has turned into a serious party with a DJ, a chili cookoff and not one, but two bounce houses. It’s always so much fun! Not just for our street but for tons of friends from around the neighborhood. It’s become so big, we start planning in the fall! I’m even on the planning committee.
So, of course last year we couldn’t have it. Not only would the city not give us a permit to close the street, plenty of people (understandably) weren’t comfortable getting together in large groups. Well, now that restrictions have lifted, our party is back on, and we’re going all out! We’ve got a water slide, a separate bounce house, a taco truck, a chili cookoff, a cookie contest, a DJ, games, prizes and plenty of fun!
Part of that fun is a big buffet table where people bring all sorts of food to share. There are appetizers, salads, desserts… pretty much anything that isn’t chicken or beef. I always make dessert. It’s easy, usually comes as finger food and is gone by the end because who doesn’t love dessert? While most desserts are high in sugar and full of chocolate (which I love), those aren’t you’re only options. There are also plenty of fruity choices.
During the summer, nothing is better than fruity desserts. I love a good peach pie or lemon bar. But better than pie or cookies is a dessert that requires no time in the oven. When it’s super hot (which it inevitably is around the 4th), the last thing I want to do is turn on my vintage stove. My kitchen is already the hottest place in the house (thanks to those 5 pilots lights that are always burning), I certainly don’t want to make it hotter. So, a dessert that doesn’t require any baking is definitely a plus. Even more of a plus is how healthy these adorable little strawberries are. Seriously! Since they’re mainly strawberries, blueberries and a little sweetened mascarpone, you couldn’t find a healthier option. And since each strawberry is its own serving, you don’t need any utensils. What’s better than a grab-and-go dessert at a potluck? Absolutely nothing! These little morsels are so small, you can grab one, pop the whole thing in your mouth and be done… unless you go back for seconds… or thirds. And trust me they’re so good you may even go back for fourths or fifths. But I’m not judging because that’s exactly what I would do.
While these stuffed strawberries are great any time from spring until the fall, what makes them perfect for the 4th are the colors. Thanks to the strawberries, mascarpone and blueberries, you get your red, white and blue totally naturally! No artificial coloring at all! There aren’t many red, white and blue desserts that can attest to that. And since strawberries and blueberries are still in season, now’s the perfect time to whip up these cute little bites. They’re so good and so easy, after you make them once, you’ll be making them over and over until berries are out of season. I know I am.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup super fine sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 15 strawberries
- 15 blueberries
Instructions
- Beat together mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip.
- Trim 1/4-inch from bottom of each strawberry so that it sits flat. Use a small melon baller to scoop out the center of each berry. Pipe cheese mixture into berries until it brims over the tops. Top each strawberry with a blueberry. Serve. These can be stored in the fridge, covered lightly with plastic wrap, for up to 2 hours.
