Don’t you just love when you find the perfect dessert? Why are fruits in Japan so expensive? The other day my hubby and I went to run some errands in a neighboring town. When we venture to this city we always make a pit stop at one of our favorite stores, The Fresh Market. If you’ve never been to one, it’s a neighborhood food market that sells fresh, premium quality foods. One of our favorite departments is the bakery. Here you’ll find everything from fresh made breads to yummy desserts for one or for a crowd. Of course we go for the individual treats in the bakery case. That brings me to the point of this post and yummy recipe. The dessert we tried on this particular trip was a big, beautiful, Strawberry Pillow. It was so good I decided I wanted to make it for our annual Memorial Day get together. I scoured the internet for a recipe that replicated this wonderful decadent dessert and came up empty handed. I refused to give up! This was too easy not to try myself so here we go.

I started by purchasing standard size croissants from my local grocery stores bakery. They were sold in packs of six so I ended up buying four packs. Since then I’ve found them in jumbo and mini size, use what fits your needs. This recipe makes 24 standard, 12 jumbo, or 48 mini pillows.

I cut the croissants in half, separating the bottoms from the tops, setting the tops aside. The Bavarian Cream recipe is super easy to make and is ready to go as soon as you’re finished mixing it. If you’re not ready to assemble just stick it in the fridge until you’re ready.

You can put yours in a piping bag to make sure there’s equal amounts or just eyeball it. Spread to the edges of the croissant. You want a nice, thick layer of Bavarian Cream.

Wash your strawberries and pat dry. Cut the tops off and then cut each strawberry in half. The strawberries I used were huge so I put three halves on each standard croissant. Adjust to your desire. You could also do thinner slices of strawberries and cover the Bavarian Cream with them. You want the strawberry near the edge so it can be seen.

Now if you like to make things from scratch you could make your own whipped cream, it’s super easy. I was in a hurry and this recipe is quick so I opted for the spray can whipped topping, found in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. Shake the whipped topping according to package directions and then spray/cover the strawberries getting right to the edge.

Place reserved croissant tops onto the whipped cream and press gently.

Use a sifter to dust the tops of your pillows. *Note – If you’re not planning on serving these until later you’ll want to wait on the whipped cream and confectioners sugar until right before you serve them. The whipped cream will break down the longer it sits and refrigeration makes the sugar wet and disappear. You’ll want pretty Strawberry Pillows to serve to your guests.

Strawberry Pillows

A yummy, fluffy, creamy, strawberry piece of heaven. This recipe is so easy to make and a definite crowd pleasing dessert. Assembly is best if done right before serving. Enjoy!

Course Dessert

Servings 24 pillows

Author Justine

Ingredients

Ingredients:

24 count Croissants (standard size from the bakery department) Could also do 12 jumbo or 48 mini croissants
2 13 oz. cans of whipped cream
32 oz. fresh strawberries
1 batch Bavarian Cream (below)
1/2 cup powdered confectioners sugar

Bavarian Cream Ingredients:

1 5.1 oz box Jello instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Start by combining all the ingredients for the Bavarian Cream into a medium mixing bowl. Start beating on low speed until combined then increase speed to high until a creamy, pudding like consistency is achieved.
Cut croissants in half with a bread knife, separating the top and bottoms. Set the tops to the side.
Spread a nice, thick, layer of Bavarian Cream onto the bottom of each croissant.
Cut, freshly washed strawberries in half and place several halves on the Bavarian Cream layer.
Shake your can of whipped topping and start spraying all over the strawberries, making sure to cover everything.
Place reserved croissant tops on whipped topping and press gently.
Dust the tops with powdered confectioners sugar.

Recipe Notes

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