Deep-Fried Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

1 lb strawberries, generously hulled
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar, plus more to dust
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. self-rising flour
6 oz. beer
oil to fry


Combine cream cheese, 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract with a hand mixer until smooth, and pipe into hollows left from hulling the strawberries. (I use a huller that resembles a tiny melon baller with teeth! It’s great for saving the stem end of tomatoes, too.) Refrigerate for an hour or more. (You could also stick them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, but don’t forget them in there!) In another bowl, combine self-rising flour, 1 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar and one half (6 oz.) of a can or bottle of beer, whisking together until smooth. Heat oil in a deep fryer, or several inches of oil in a deep pan on the stove, to 350°F. Coat each stuffed berry well with the beer batter before dropping into the hot oil, and cook until just lightly golden brown