Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Zabaglione Stuffed Strawberries

Being a mom can be a hard and lonely job. You usually don't get praised for doing it well, yet there always seems to be a chorus of little voices that are more than willing to point out when you've fallen short of the ideal. Some days with your li'l darlings can feel longer and bleaker than a symposium on tax code reforms. And after navigating your way through a two year old's marathon tantrum, you can understand why motherhood is not a paid position- there isn't enough money in the world to cover that kind of aggravation and despair. That's exactly why I think Mother's Day should be celebrated with bells and whistles, or at the very least flowers and chocolates.
So in order to sell the chocolates, and to reach out to my fellow moms, yesterday evening I hosted a Mother's Day Dessert Tea. I used a bunch of teapots as vases, found paper plates and napkins in a chintzy print, mixed up a pitcher of sweet and fruity sangria, and served my chocolate truffles alongside tiramisu cupcakes and key lime cupcakes.
These zabaglione stuffed strawberries were also noteworthy. Fresh, juicysweet strawberries are the perfect frame for the subtle and creamy vino-spiked filling. Using jumbo long stemmed strawberries are crucial, and a melon baller really makes the job easier. You can gild the lily by sprinkling the strawberries with mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts. But, as with children, keeping it simple is sometimes the best option.

Zabaglione Stuffed Strawberries
Rinse and pat dry 2 punnets of long stemmed strawberries. With melon baller scoop out the center area of each strawberry about the size of a quarter. In a bowl combine 1 container of mascarpone cheese (8oz.), 1 container of cream cheese (8oz.), 3-4 tbsp. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 3-4 tbsp. marsala wine. Mix until smooth. Scoop into a pastry bag or a ziploc bag. If using pastry bag fit with star tip, if using ziploc bag snip off the corner. Squeeze mascarpone mixture into strawberry cavities. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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