Stuffed Strawberry Bites: A Great Toddler Snack Idea
Description
When the child asks for sweets but you want something just a bit more wholesome–and more to your taste, for a change–this is the move: a strawberry with cheesecake dreams on the inside–literally. No cooking. No mess. No need to wait: just pull out the biggest strawberries in your carton; stuff them with a mixture of ricotta (or cream cheese), vanilla, cardamom, lemon zest, and sugar; dust the outside with whatever you’d like (chocolate? Graham cracker crumbs?)--voila, you’ve got yourself an indulgence that still feels like something of substance. So good are these, in fact, that you will eventually be asking your child to make them.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep and Assemble
- Make the filling: mix ricotta (or cream cheese) with Vanilla extract, a dusting each of cardamom and zest from a lemon, and a big pinch of sugar. If thick, add a splash or two of milk to loosen.
- Cut the stems off the strawberries. With a small knife, dig a round hole into the center of the strawberry; remove core and any other material inside the center to create a well.
- With a small spoon, fill the hole in the strawberries with your sweetened cheese mixture, adding a bit of a dollop on top of the hole.
- If using, add chocolate chips and a dollop of olive oil to a small bowl. Microwave until chips are gooey, roughly 60 seconds; mix to form a sauce. (If too thick, add a pinch of water one at a time until thin.)
- Drizzle chocolate sauce all over strawberries. Plate and place in fridge for 10-30 minutes to allow chocolate sauce to firm up.
Serve
If desired, dust with graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, or sugar when ready to serve. Toddlers above 2.5 years should be able to eat the strawberry without the need for a parent to cut up prior to serving; younger than that, though, and it’s probably best to slice into small spears or cubes.
