Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries with Crushed Macarons

It was my good friend's birthday celebration dinner and I didn't know what to get her, so I made her these beautiful cheesecake stuffed strawberries topped with crushed vanilla macarons. They are so simple to make yet they look like you spent a lot of time and effort on them. Much more impressive than chocolate-dipped strawberries!

Wash and clean your strawberries. Try to find strawberries that are similar in size, but not too small, or you won't be able to get much filling inside.

Core the strawberries with a corer/huller/paring knife. Be sure not to cut through to the bottom or the filling will leak.

For the filling, I used store-bought cheesecake (single serving). There was only blueberry left at the store, but I would recommend getting a plain one if available.

Mash up the cheesecake and whisk it a bit to give it the consistency of buttercream.

Put the creamed cheesecake in a ziplock bag and cut a hole in one corner for piping.

Pipe the filling into the cored strawberries.

Crush your macaron, but not too finely. Large chunks here and there make it more visually appealing.

Finish by topping the strawberries with the crushed macaroons. Serve within the hour or the macarons will start to get soggy.

Recipe

For 6-10 strawberries, depending on size

Ingredients

Strawberries
1 medium slice of cheesecake - preferably plain
1 large macaron

Method

1. Core the strawberries, taking care not to cut through to the bottom.
2. Mash up the cheesecake until it reaches a buttercream consistency.
3. Put the cheesecake into a ziploc bag and cut one corner. Pipe into the strawberries.
4. Top with crushed macarons.

Vancouver - Burgoo

Comfort food at its best! I am a huge fan of Burgoo. I've been to their Point Grey location four times and it gets better every time. Burgoo is like a high-end diner/bistro that serves classics like BLT and onion soup but with a contemporary flair. It is a relatively small restaurant but super cozy. The decor is mostly wood and there is a fireplace mounted on one wall. When you walk in, you are instantly greeted by the familiar scent of fondue. We were seated by the window (great for taking photos of food I recently learned) and I could feel the heater by my feet. It felt like I was in a log cabin somewhere in Switzerland where people come in to warm up with a decadent meal by the fireplace.  

Strawberry Lemonade: delicious chunks of sweet strawberries cut the sourness of the lemonade, making this a super refreshing drink (I get this every time I come! There's also an alcoholic version for those who want a little kick in their lemonade) 

Burgoo Biscuits: warm flaky scones with cheddar and parsley - great with butter

Decadent French Onion: roasted onions in rich beef broth with country-style croutons slow baked with gooey Gruyere, Emmenthal and Mozzarella - what sets this apart from other onion soups is that it comes with three different yummy cheeses and a lot of big crouton bits inside the soup, so it eats like a meal

Burgoo BLTCG: your classic BLT + Cheddar + Guacamole with house mayo served on toasted filone -  The guacamole adds a delightful creamy texture to the sandwich and the cheese ups the saltiness, which I love. The filone is toasted to perfection - definitely a must try!

I got their sandwich + salad combo with spinach salad: drizzled with thyme vinaigrette and topped with purple onions, apple slices, bacon bits and crumbled feta cheese - great textures, great salty flavors but I thought the vinaigrette tasted only like olive oil.

Other items I loved: Butternut Squash soup, Straight Up Tomato soup, Brie Fondue, Guacamole, Bruschetta

Note: Some of their menu items tend to change seasonally 

Verdict: Amazing comfort food, great atmosphere, but not recommended for those on a diet!