Strawberry Santas and a Very Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve! As a kid, I always enjoyed Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day.  The reason?  Our family opens presents on Christmas Eve! Our grandparents would come in town, we’d eat light sandwiches for dinner and start opening gifts at 7:00 or 7:30.  Santa would come that night and we’d open the presents from him on Christmas Day. What do you do on Christmas Eve/Day?

Now for the treats… when I saw these cute little Strawberry Santas on Pinterest, I just had to make them! They are super festive, tasty and pretty easy to assemble. They would also be a perfect appetizer on Christmas Eve night. Enjoy!!

1 lb. large strawberries 

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

6 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1/2 cup Cool Whip

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. 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 the strawberries and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, Cool Whip 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.

3. Once strawberries are filled, top with the ‘hats’. Decorate according to photo.

4. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Yield: 4-6 people