Strawberries are the most popular berry fruit in the world, and while they are available in grocery stores every week of the year, spring is their true season, at least in the South.

For clarity, Florida strawberry season is actually December through April, but that’s pretty far South near Plant City. For the rest of the South — strawberries are a spring fruit. But wait, there’s more confusion. Strawberries aren’t actually a fruit or a berry; they are instead the “enlarged receptacle of the strawberry flower.” Wait, what? That kind of language can make my eyes cross.

Strawberries are a member of the rose family. They aren’t true berries, like blueberries. (Technically, a berry has its seeds on the inside.) And, to be super geeky, each seed on a strawberry is considered by botanists to be its own separate fruit.

Regardless of the correct botanical terminology, strawberries are a most welcome salute to spring. Their bright red bursts of color and flavor are refreshing after the winter months of apples, pears, and citrus.

Ingredients

* 2 Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mixes
* 16 ounces softened cream cheese
* 2 cups sugar
* 1-2 cups Cool Whip

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