Cream Crown

2 (3 oz.) packages lady fingers

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Fresh raspberries or fresh chopped strawberries

2 tablespoons red currant jelly

1 tablespoon water

For garnish:   Lemon peeling curls and fresh mint

Lightly grease the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.   Line the sides with half of the ladyfingers, rounded sides out.   With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until creamy, about 1 minutes.   Gradully add sugar and continue beating  for 1 minutes.  In another large mixing bowl, combine cream and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form; do not over beat.   Fold beaten cream into cream cheese mixture.   Spread half of cheese filling in bottom of pan.   Arrange remaining ladyfingers on top of filling.   Top with remaining filling.   Cover and refrigerate overnight.   Heat red currant jelly and water until dissolved; cool.   Before serving, arrange berries on top and drizzle with red currant jelly glaze and garnish with lemon curls and mint.  Yield:   12 servings.

For Pick-Up Fingers:
Pipe filling using a large star tip down the top of an individual finger and garnish with fresh raspberries, blue berries, strawberries, or blackberries, then add fresh mint and lemon peel curls.

Ruth Smith
Brandon, MS
Grand Prize Winner of the 2010 Recipe Contest
Mississippi Magazine

*I  took these to Hayley's Graduation Family Party at Margaret's on May 14, 2010.    They turned out pretty good and I think eveyone liked them.   I even got out my cake decorating kit and used the star tip and and pipped the icing on them.    This makes a lot of icing - I had enough left over that I made a sheet cake and put the leftover icing on it and then just topped with strawberries.