I've always liked strawberry cream cheese, but I'd never even considered trying to make it myself until very recently. I was researching traditional English tea sandwiches for the High Tea birthday party, and an article I read mentioned date nut bread sandwiches with strawberry cream cheese filling. That sounded delicious, and I already have an absolutely wonderful date nut bread recipe (coming on Monday!), so I knew I wanted to make some of the sandwiches. But a great homemade bread deserves an equally great filling, so I thought I'd try my hand at creating my own strawberry cream cheese recipe.
And let me tell you, the effort was a success. Really bright, intense berry flavor (I tend to like really strong flavors in general), and not overly sweet. I don't think I'm ever buying a tub of the stuff again.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Recipe:
- 1 8oz package of cream cheese (low fat or non fat is fine, if you'd like), softened
- 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
The secret ingredient is really the freeze dried strawberries. I started experimenting with freeze dried strawberries in my favorite strawberry cake recipe, and quickly figured out that they add amazing, concentrated fruit flavor, without messing with the liquid in a recipe, or the texture. They work just as well in the strawberry cream cheese.
To make the strawberry cream cheese spread, simply toss the fresh strawberries, the freeze dried strawberries, the cream cheese, and the powdered sugar in a mixer, and blend together. It quickly turns into a lovely, light, whipped pink mixture studded with bits of berry. The perfect strawberry cream cheese.
Is it time for tea yet?