Strawberry Love Bombs for a #SundaySupper Valentine

I'm so excited to be teaming up with Sunday Supper and Gallo Family Vineyards to celebrate Valentine's Day.

This year Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday which is kinda fun. It can be an all day event and not limited to just a nice special dinner. Valentine's can start with a lazy morning of brunch in bed along with a glass of sweet wine.

I'm not talking about a full fledged brunch. Sometimes it's nice to have a delicate treat that doesn't require utensils. Finger food can make us feel indulgent and decadent. We all deserve to experience that every now and then.

These aren't doughnut holes and they aren't cream puffs. These little gems are deep fried biscuits, that once bitten into expose a delightful filling of cream cheese and strawberries.

When you deep fry biscuit dough, it becomes a wonderful thing indeed. Crispy, crunchy on the outside and delicious and puffy on the inside. The perfect little host for tasty surprises.

Strawberry Love Bombs 

makes 6
Printable Version

Biscuit recipe:
1/3 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shelf rising flour - sifted
1/4 cup shortening

Filling:
3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup strawberries, finely chopped
about 1 teaspoon sugar

Garnish:
Powdered sugar
1 oz bittersweet chocolate - melted (I add a smidge of shortening to make it thinner and easier to drizzle)

Oil for frying.

Heat oil to 325' F in a deep fryer or tall, thick bottomed pot.

To make the biscuit dough, in a small bowl, combine the milk and baking soda.
In a medium bowl, cut the shortening into the flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk mixture just combined.
Knead about 3 or 4 times or until dough forms.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 thickness. Using a 3" cooking cutter, cut out 6 circles.

Now for the assembly:
Gently smear a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese in the center of each round. Heap a teaspoon or so of the strawberries in the center. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of sugar. (now wipe your fingers off if they're a little messy so they don't interfere with the next process). Pinch the edges together to form a half moon (you may need a bit of water run along the edges to help this happen) and gently roll into something that resembles a ball, without disturbing the pinched seam.

Repeat until all 6 balls are formed.

Carefully place the balls into the hot oil, but don't over crowd. You may need to do this is batches, depending on how large your fryer or pot is.

Fry for 2 - 3 minutes, until a deep golden brown.

Carefully remove to cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with melted chocolate.

Let cool slightly before enjoying.

Tips for tubed biscuit dough: If you are biscuit challenged, time restricted or just aren't in the mood to make the dough yourself, you will need to make the following adjustments:

Reduce the heat of the oil to 300' as these take a bit longer to fry and will burn before the inside is fully cooked. The tubed dough puffs up more and you don't want the inside to be doughy.

Split the biscuit rounds in half, and smash them flat until they're about 3" in diameter.

Just to give you an idea of the difference between homemade and tube results: The tubed dough is on the top and the homemade is on the bottom.

I personally prefer the homemade. The crust is slightly crispier and the ratio of fruit, cheese and biscuit is a bit nicer as well.

Now let's pair our brunch with some wine to complete our morning of leisure:



The two I have in mind are Gallo Family Vineyard's Riesling and Sweet Red.

The Riesling has a hint of honeysuckle, peach and citrus.

The Sweet Red is fruity, with a fresh fruit acidity and a soft velvety finish.

Both wines are versatile and pair nicely with an array of dishes. I chose the Riesling for my Strawberry Love Bombs because of it's slightly effervescent charm and citrus notes. The dish isn't as sweet as it looks, which is perfect with this wine.

For more information about Gallo Family Vineyards and the wines they have to offer, visit their website. You will also find the store locator there.  I recommend that you follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for more ideas and updates.

Did you know that GFV also has a blog? Check out their Valentine's Day post that includes the round-up of today's Sunday Supper recipe links.

I hope you enjoy this delightful treat on such an indulgent day. Whether or not you have a significant "other" in your life, make sure you spend Valentine's Day with someone you love, be it a spouse, your children, sibling, or best friend.

Be sure to check out the other Sunday Supper recipes for more inspiration to help make your day special.

Alluring Appetizers and Brunch:

• Burrata and Garlic Tomato Appetizer by Family Foodie
• Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms by Life Tastes Good
• Strawberry Love Bombs by Peaceful Cooking

Magnificent Main Dishes:

• Braised Lamb Ragu by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Bruschetta Chicken and Pasta by Casa de Crews
• Mahi Mahi with Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel by The Messy Baker
• Seafood Risotto by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Thai Sweet Chili Glazed Salmon by The Foodie Army Wife

Dazzling Desserts and Sweets:

• Caramel Apple Pie Bites for Two by Feed Me, Seymour
• Chocolate Coconut Haystacks by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Chocolate Coeur a la Creme by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Espresso Creme Brulee by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Gluten Free Deep Dish Red Velvet Brownies for Two by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Creamy Lemon Tart by Magnolia Days
• Mocha Fudge by Alida's Kitchen
• Polenta Cake with Honey Yogurt and Peach Preserves by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Raspberry Custard by Nosh My Way
• Raspberry Meringue Hearts by Desserts Required
• Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Brownie by Flavor Mosaic
• Valentine's Day Cream Puffs by Ruffles & Truffles

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.