Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Are you ready for this? Are you sure? This is going to blow your mind--this is the mother load of all desserts: this is cheesecake stuffed strawberries. I made these a while back after hearing a friend of mine always talking about how she made them for every event she went to. The name alone sparked my interest, and I had to see what all of the fuss was about. I googled a recipe for these, and man-oh-man am I glad I did. These are AMAZING--and they will be a HIT at any event you take them to. Best part? They are SO easy to make! 

Ingredients:
1 lb. of fresh strawberries, rinsed and pat dry
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Graham cracker crumbs, optional

Directions:
With a pairing knife, cut off the strawberry stems. Cut around the inside of the strawberry, hollowing out slightly and creating a well for the cheesecake. (You can also do this with a small melon baller). Cut off a small portion of the pointy tip so that each strawberry can stand. Place each on a large baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, with a standing or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Place mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into each strawberry, adding a little extra to the top. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. 

Optionally, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top of each stuffed strawberry. (I added the graham cracker crumbs and personally I loved it. I felt like it really finished the dessert off with a "crust-like" texture)

Enjoy!

Tip: If you don't have a pastry bag, filling a ziploc bag and cutting the tip off works just as well. Also, don't make more than 5 hours in advance: you risk your strawberries sweating and becoming soggy, and you risk eating all of them before you get to the party ;)