A good friend passed along this delish dessert recipe, and although we haven't taken it for a test drive yet we certainly plan to this weekend.  After all, any time strawberries and cheesecake are mentioned in the same sentence, it's just automatically a winner.

And even though strawberry season is well over in most of the Northern Hemisphere, we refuse to let a little thing like the time of year interfere with our enjoyment of this favourite berry, n'est-ce pas?

1 lb (450g) California strawberries, stemmed and sliced
4 Tbsp sugar
1 pkg (250mL/8oz) cream cheese
3 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup whipped cream or whipped topping
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
In one bowl, toss strawberries with half the sugar (this releases some of the strawberry juices).  Cover and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, beat cheese, milk, lemon juice and second half of the sugar until smooth.  Fold in the whipped cream (or topping), taking care not to over mix.  This will keep the creamy portion light and fluffy.

Spoon 2 Tbsp of graham crumbs into each of 4 serving dishes (we love martini glasses as pictured!).  Layer with about 1/4 cup of the strawberry mixture, 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture, and top with the remaining crumbs and strawberries equally divided.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Serves 4

Tip: use low-fat versions of the cream cheese, whipped topping, and milk in this recipe without sacrificing decadent flavour.

Will you also be making a "quality control test" on this recipe this weekend?