Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake Filled Strawberries - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pint strawberry
1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
sliced almonds (optional)

Preparation

Wash the strawberries. Then, slice the bottom point off the strawberry, so that it can stand up straight. Next, pluck the stem off. Using a paring knife or strawberry huller, scoop out the top to make room for the cheesecake.
This is the most important step...dry off the strawberries individually with paper towels. If the strawberries are wet, the chocolate will not stick.
Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or microwave. (Note: if using a microwave, only melt it in 20-second increments to make sure it doesn't burn). I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips.
Line a cookie sheet (that will fit in your freezer) with waxed paper or a Silpat. Dip the bottom half of each strawberry into the melted chocolate and place on the lined pan. Once the pan is full, place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.
While the chocolate is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk, until smooth. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk.
Spoon the cheesecake mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. If you don't have a piping bag, scoop it into a large Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Remove the strawberries from the freezer and pipe in the cheesecake filling. Top with a slivered almond and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.