Raspberries in Zinfandel

I owe this post to my dad. Why? Because he found this recipe, he made it to share with me, and it was so good, I asked him if I could share it with you.

My dad has a holiday and special occasion tradition for mixing fresh fruits with different kinds of alcohol. On Easter he had cherry vodka-soaked grapes out in the freezer, but then he realized after all the family festivities were over that he had forgotten to serve them. You should have seen the look on his face. I felt so bad for him. His prized special contribution to the family dinner was lost and forgotten. (But still good for dessert the next night!)

He made these zinfandel-soaked raspberries a few weeks ago when he saw some fresh raspberries at the store. Being a diabetic, it’s often hard for him to find treats that satisfy his sweet tooth but also keep his sugars in good control. I’m really proud of my dad-in the last few months, he’s lost 13 pounds and has started exercising again. Eating “desserts” like these make losing weight easy for him. He ate his fruit plain, just out of a bowl. I took the liberty of adding a little whipped cream to mine to make it almost like a parfait, and it was incredible. The alcohol taste is very subtle-the berries are plump and sweet. And since I am more of a chocolate dessert fan than a fruit kind of dessert fan, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this dessert. And, seriously, what is better than a dessert that calls for three ingredients and two steps in the instructions?

Raspberries in Zinfandel

Servings: about 2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups fresh raspberries, rinsed

2 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute, if you prefer that)

1/4 cup zinfandel (whatever kind you prefer)

Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.

2. Cover and allow the mixture to marinate for at least one hour, at room temperature. ***I would advise putting them in the refrigerator to marinate if you will not eat them immediately. They tasted fantastic chilled!

3. Serve as desired.