We can never thank our mothers enough…and what mom doesn’t like a beautiful sweet treat… For Mother’s Day, create a delicious Strawberry Charlotte. First, make the base crust by mixing 1 cup of minced pecans, 1 cup of flour, and 1 stick of melted butter (1/4 cup). Mix well and press a circle shape onto parchment paper. Bake on a cookie sheet at 425⁰F for no more than 10 minutes. Let cool and place the cooked crust onto your cake stand. Second, you will need “lady fingers” (the small thin little cakes, about the length of one’s finger.) You can make these with a right cake mold or the easy way is to purchase the lady fingers, premade. You will also need 3 pints of fresh strawberries. Next, in the food processor, mince 2 pints of washed strawberries (with the sepal removed). In a large bowl, gently mix 1 cup of whipped cream (until fluffy), a half cup of softened cream cheese, a half cup of mascarpone cheese, with a mixer until incorporated. Then, add ¼ cup of Chambord liqueur, to mix again. Add a touch of sugar to taste. Then, slowly add the minced strawberries, little by little. But only add enough of the minced strawberries to the desired thickness. (Check the sweetness again.) You want the mixture to be substantially thick to hold its shape and allow cutting. Now, assemble your Charlotte. Pile the strawberry mixture onto the cooled crust. Then, vertically edge the strawberry mixture with the lady fingers. The lady fingers should be trimmed to correct height to be slightly higher that the strawberry mixture. Lastly, with the last pint of strawberries, keep the sepal intact and gently wash the strawberries thoroughly. Pat dry and gently dip each strawberry in your choice of light corn syrup or dark chocolate. Top your lovely strawberry Charlotte with the decorated whole strawberries. Keep the Charlotte chilled until serving. Enjoy this homemade Mother’s Day dessert for your exceptional Mom or you! © Kelly McBride Loft