When he was a boy my husband loved to “eat fancy” — by that he meant tiny, deliberate bites. He’d arrange cherry tomatoes on a plate, sit with a salt shaker and take small, thoughtful nibbles, flicking a little salt with the flick of his wrist. Watching him reenact it now, pinkie raised and eyes alight, is both funny and endearing.
His affection for bite-sized treats hasn’t faded. At last October’s Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival he was in his element, moving from table to table sampling elegant one- and two-bite offerings from local chefs. Every time I glanced at him, he looked like a grown man shrunk down to the size of that little boy: completely absorbed and quietly delighted by each tiny taste.
So when I want to make something special for him — to celebrate or simply to show affection — I turn to little bites. Call me sentimental; I can’t help it. It’s just how I’m made.
After a long day of moving mountains of snow he collapsed into his chair in front of the woodstove, rubbing his hands together to warm them. I slipped into the kitchen and softened an 8-ounce package of Neufchâtel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese in the stand mixer, added confectioner’s sugar and a splash of Chambord, and beat the mixture until it was smooth and fluffy. I transferred the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip and piped it into fresh raspberries I’d picked up the day before.
I arranged a small handful on a plate, rolled the piano bench next to his chair, and placed the plate and a little glass of Chambord beside him. Instant thaw: the tension and cold melted away as surely as the snow from his boots.
He savored each raspberry and declared them the ultimate cheesecake — high praise from someone who usually insists the fruit should dominate any cheesecake. Then he looked up expectantly and asked, “Are there more? Do you have more?”
“Of course I do,” I said. That’s love.
One Bite Cheesecake Stuffed Raspberries
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 2 pints fresh raspberries
- 1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese 8 ounce, Neufchatel cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tablespoon Chambord or other raspberry liqueur
Instructions
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In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, or with a hand mixer in a bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, and Chambord on high speed until smooth and creamy. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip, or tuck it into a zipper-top bag and snip a small corner. Gently insert the tip into each raspberry without splitting it and squeeze in the filling, withdrawing the tip as you fill to leave a little cap of cheesecake on top. Arrange on a plate and serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours. For best texture and flavor, serve within 3 hours, as the raspberries will release juice if stored longer.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate exact nutrition using the ingredients you use and your preferred nutrition tool.
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