Everyone is making chocolate covered strawberries now—Everyone. Sooooo, it’s time for us to move onto Strawberry Volcanoes! Just look at that picture! Am I right, or am I right?! I saw a picture of Strawberry Volcanoes on TasteSpotting a few weeks ago, and knew then that this was the direction in which to move! Their picture was one of strawberries filled with freshly whipped cream, but I wanted something that would hold up longer on a dessert buffet. I decided to fill the strawberries with a cream cheese dip that I have made and served with strawberries for, hmmm, at least a few decades. I loved the name though, so I kept THAT 🙂

The recipe below is just a guide—just dip your strawberries in a favorite chocolate, then fill with a favorite filling! Go for it! Create your own signature volcanoes! You can start with my version and experiment, or just make them like this all the time—like I’m going to do!

Adjust the quantities to fit the number of volcanoes you want to make. And don’t worry—leftovers of any of these components should not be a problem! Leftover chocolate? Stir in toasted coconut, raisins and/or nuts, and drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let chocolate harden and snack! Leftover dip? Get more strawberries and dip them in it, or use as a filling for a cake or cupcakes. Leftover strawberries? Just eat, or freeze for a smoothie later 🙂

Strawberry Volcanoes

INGREDIENTS

• About 48 very large, very ripe strawberries
• 1 12 oz. package chocolate chips or a favorite large chocolate bar—you’ll need at least 6 oz.—any kind of chocolate will work, milk, dark or white.
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash strawberries and remove the green stem and leaves.
2. If necessary, slightly slice the strawberry so it has a nice flat bottom, and sits nicely on a platter—let dry on paper towels. While strawberries are drying, make the filling.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, no lumps. Transfer the mixture to a large Ziploc bag OR use a piping bag fitted with a star tip—refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Line a tray big enough to hold all strawberries with wax paper and set aside.
5. A few hours before serving time, melt chocolate or chocolate bar in the microwave on 50% power—you might only need ½ the bag of the chips, start with that, and melt more as needed. First, set the microwave oven for two minutes on 50% power, stir, and return chocolate to microwave for an additional minute and an additional stir. Repeat as necessary until the chocolate is completely melted.
6. Dip the wide top end of the dry strawberry into melted chocolate. Place on the wax paper covered tray and let sit on it’s chocolate “bottom” (stem end, really) until hard—place tray in refrigerator to speed up this process.
7. With sharp knife, cut an X into the pointed (non-chocolate covered) end of the strawberry. Make the cut go about halfway down the strawberry.
8. Fill the strawberry with filling, letting a little “erupt” out of the X at the top—remember you are making strawberry volcanoes! If using the Ziploc bag method, push all the filling to one bottom corner of the bag, snip the corner off, and squirt the filling out of the hole in the bag. If you already have a piping bag and a star tip, you know the drill!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today, and come back again soon!