Filled Strawberries

1 – 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened **
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 quart fresh whole strawberries, stems removed

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Chill 1 hour.

Quarter Strawberries from tip to stem end without cutting through stem end. Pipe cream cheese mixture into strawberries. Chill until ready to serve.

from The Twiggery

Sarah made these for several tea parties and we cored the strawberries by cutting out the "woody" centers. We used *strawberry cream cheese* instead of the plain cream cheese. It is the almond flavoring that makes these so divine!

Strawberry Punch

1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and stems removed
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups orange juice
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 quarts ginger ale
fresh whole strawberries for garnish

Blend strawberries, sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice in blender until well blended. Right before serving add ginger ale. Garnish glasses with a whole strawberry. Note: The punch base can be made ahead of time and frozen in milk jugs until the party day. Just thaw and add ginger ale in a punch bowl.

from The Twiggery