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.
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.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
