Yuletide Strawberry Santas Food

STRAWBERRY SANTAS

Steps:

• Use a mixer to beat the cream cheese until fluffy and then gradually beat in the powdered sugar on low speed.
• Prepare the strawberries by cutting the stems off to leave a flat surface on the bottom. You will end up with a cone.
• Cut the strawberry ¾ of the way up from the bottom to create a smaller cone that will be the Santa hat. Set the Santa hat parts of the strawberries aside.
• Place the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag with a round tip (I used a Wilton 2A, but any medium to large piping tip will work).
• On the larger bottom part of the strawberry, pipe the cream cheese mixture, creating a large upwards swirl with 2 layers.
• In the middle of the cream cheese swirl, use the black decorating icing to dot two eyes and use a single sprinkle or red/orange decorating icing for the nose.
• Top the swirl with the previously cut off strawberry Santa hat and pipe a dot of cream cheese frosting onto the tips of the Santa hat to create the pom pom (I liked to go in the direction of the strawberry "hat" to make it cuter).

YULETIDE STRAWBERRY SANTA'S

Steps:

• Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top, (enough for a hat). Clean out the whole strawberry with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already. Prep all of the strawberries and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.
• Once strawberries are filled, top with the 'hats.' Decorate according to photo. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

MINI STRAWBERRY SANTAS

Steps:

• Cut the hulled-side strawberries so they can stand up on a plate. Slice the tip off each strawberry to make the 'hat'; set aside.
• Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in a glass or metal bowl until soft peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipped cream will form soft mounds.
• Spoon a large dollop of whipped cream on top of strawberry base for the 'face' and 'beard'. Set the 'hat' atop the 'face'. Add a dot of whipped cream, using a toothpick, on top of the 'hat' for the 'pom-pom' and 2 dots on the strawberry base for 'buttons'. Place 2 sprinkles on the 'face' for 'eyes'.

STRAWBERRY SANTAS

Steps:

• For the frosting: In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the mascarpone and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the mixture is thick and smooth. Using a spatula, transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small star piping tip.
• For the Santas: Using a paring knife, cut off the leaf-end of each strawberry to make a flat surface. Cut a 1/2- to 3/4-inch piece from the pointed end of each strawberry and reserve as the hats.
• Place the strawberries, wide-side down, on a work surface. Pipe a 3/4-inch-high swirl of frosting on each strawberry. Place the hats on top and pipe a small ball of frosting on top of the hats. Press two chocolate chips, pointed-sides inward, into the swirl of frosting to make eyes.