How to Make Strawberry Butterflies

Butterflies made from strawberries make gorgeous additions to the fruit platter for a party or buffet presentation. They also look wonderful on top of a cake or cupcake as a decoration (think: strawberry cake). These tasty butterflies are simple to make and once you've made a few, it'll be fast and easy for you to make a whole plateful or cover an entire cake with them.

Ingredients

Strawberry and chili butterflies:

Strawberries of a good size, with intact leaves (washed and clean)
Chili peppers, green, 1 per butterfly

All strawberry butterflies:

Large strawberries of good quality (washed, hulled and clean)

Strawberry berry butterflies:

Strawberries (washed, hulled and clean); a selection of both large and small sizes
Blackberries or raspberries of a good size and firm (gently washed)
Blanched almond slivers

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Strawberry and chili butterflies

This version is a good choice for a savory dish, such as a salad or terrine, owing to the use of a chili pepper as part of the garnish.

1
Slice the first strawberry down the middle. Slice it both vertically and horizontally. Be careful not to cut the stem or leaves, as those will hold the butterfly together.
2
Gently pull the cut quarters apart. Do not pull from the stem.

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3
Prepare the chili pepper. Snip the tip of the stem. Pull into two strands.
4
Pull the cap off off the chili, and place it between the butterfly wings.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

All strawberry butterflies

This version is suitable for both sweet and savory dishes.

1
Cut a thick slice from the center of the strawberry.
2
Cut this slice in half.
3
Arrange the two halves in a wing formation on frosting already on a cake or a on a plate for a fruit display. Have the rounded sides facing inward toward each other, the fatter rounded end as the base of the wings and the slimmer tip of the slice facing upward for the wing tips. Do not place the wings flush with each other; leave a small gap to insert the center piece.
4
Add a center piece. Cut a small sliver of strawberry, about half the length of the wings. Insert this into the center of the two wings to form the butterfly's body. Keep the seeds facing upward, as this is the glossier and prettier side of the strawberry.
5
Repeat for as many times as you need strawberry butterfly decorations.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Strawberry berry butterflies

This version is best for sweet dishes.

1
Cut one large strawberry in half.
2
Cut round slices from a large strawberry. You'll have extra slices leftover, just make use of these to make more butterflies.
3
Cut circle rounds from a small strawberry. You will need two larger circles and two smaller circles.
4
Cut the blackberry or raspberry into a slice or in half. This forms the center body, so it should be a slimline shape as much as possible.
5
Assemble the strawberry butterfly. Build the butterfly on a plate or cake topping, as follows:
- Place the blackberry or raspberry body piece in the center.
- Place the two large round circles opposite each other, each side of the base of the body piece. The top of these circles should commence at the middle position on the body piece. These form the base wings of the butterfly.
- Place the two large strawberry halves, pointed end downward on the center of the base wing circles. Angle the large top end of these pieces outward (away from the body piece), to form the top wing shapes.
- Place the larger small round pieces in the center of the large top wings.
- Place the smaller small round pieces in the center of the smaller lower wings.
6
Add the antennae. Angle two blanched slivered almonds on top of the body piece.
7
Repeat for as many times as you need to make strawberry butterflies.