Mini Strawberry Trifles

It's strawberry season! At least it is in Florida anyways. So how does strawberries with pound cake, vanilla pudding and fresh whipped cream sound? Sounds yummy to me! These Mini Strawberry Trifles are from Cupcakes! From the Cake Doctor - a book that is becoming quite handy for quick and easy but really elegant desserts.


This month's Fruit of the Month is Strawberries! Look for the A Fruit A Month roundup hosted by the Beyond The Usual blog at the end of the month.

Mini Strawberry Trifles 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix 2 cups cold milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar 8 foil liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size) 1 small (10.75 ounces) loaf frozen pound cake 2 tablespoons cream sherry 1/2 cup chopped fresh ripe strawberries 8 whole medium-size ripe strawberries, for garnish

Prepare the instant pudding according to the package directions, adding the cold milk as directed. Stir in the vanilla. Immediately place the pudding int he refrigerator to chill until it is needed.

Meanwhile, place a medium-size mixing bowl in the freezer for 1 minute. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl and mix on high speed until the cream has thickened, 1 1/2 minutes. Add the sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator to chill.

Place the foil liners on a serving platter and set aside.

Place the frozen cake on a cutting board. Slice the cake thinly into 16 slices that are about 1/4-inch thick. Cut a 2-inch round out of each slice, yielding 16 rounds. Generously brush one side of each round with the sherry.

Place 8 rounds, sherry-side up, in the foil liners. Dollop 1 tablespoon of pudding on top of each cake round. Place 1 tablespoon of chopped strawberries on top of the pudding. Then, dollop with 1 tablespoon more pudding. Place the remaining 8 cake rounds on the top of pudding, sherry-side down. Cover the platter with plastic wrap and chill the cakes until time to serve.

Just before serving, slice the whole strawberries. Top each trifle with a heaping tablespoon of whipped cream and garnish with 2 or 3 of the nicest strawberry slices.

* Stores these "cupcakes," covered in plastic wrap or in a cake saver, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Stuffed Roasted Strawberries

They taste better than they look! I first saw these Stuffed Roasted Strawberries on 30 Minute Meals. I had the Food Network on one day while I was doing things and I happened to catch Rachael Ray putting strawberries into the oven. I was intrigued by that. When I started to pay attention I noticed that the strawberries were being filled with chocolate! At that point I knew I wanted to try them to use as my entry for Sugar High Friday #27: Chocolate By Brand hosted by David Lebovitz. Strawberry season is just starting down here in Florida. This is a perfect way to eat more fresh strawberries!

As is typical for me, my strawberries ended up looking nothing like hers. Even though I cut off the bottoms so that they were level, over half of them tipped over while roasting. I filled my strawberries with some chopped Lindt Lindor Dark Chocolate Truffle pieces which I received as a Christmas gift. The result is like a warm inside-out dipped strawberry. It is a fun dessert because it is light and unusual. All my friends know that Lindt is my favorite chocolate so I received a whole bunch of yummy Lindt chocolate. Ah, the simple pleasures . . .


Stuffed Roasted Strawberries
Serves 4

Ingredients
12 extra-large strawberries (the bigger the better!)
1 to 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
Spray whipping cream (the real kind in the can in the dairy section)
Cocoa powder, for garnishing

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the tops of the berries off just below the stem. Cut the tips off (about 1/4-inch), so that the berries will sit upright. Next, use a small spoon or a melon ball scoop to hollow out the strawberries, working from their tops, in order to create a cavity in each one. Stuff some chocolate into the cavity of each strawberry and place them upright in a baking dish. Lightly sprinkle the berries with sugar, if using. Roast the berries until soft and the chocolate is melted, about 10 to 12 minutes.

To serve, place 3 strawberries on a dessert plate in a triangle. If the berries have given off liquid in the baking dish, spoon it over them. Spray a small mound of cream in the center of the berries, and top each berry with a rosette of cream. Sift a little cocoa powder over the plate, and serve!