Simple Pimples

File this one under ridiculous Halloween party food that actually works. Cherry tomatoes get cored, piped full of cream cheese, then gently squeezed so the filling bulges out like, well, the name says it all. Kids find them hilarious. Adults eat them anyway.

The whole thing takes about ten minutes and needs exactly two ingredients, plus a platter to pile them on. A carrot peeler or small paring knife works best for coring. Drain the tomato shells upside down on a paper towel for a minute before filling, otherwise the cream cheese slides around instead of sticking.

For best texture, let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for twenty minutes before filling. Cold cream cheese straight from the fridge will crack the tomato skins when you push it in with a butter knife.

Kitchen Tips

• Pipe the cream cheese in with a small zip-top bag snipped at the corner for cleaner filling and less mess.
• Use firm, ripe cherry tomatoes. Overripe ones split when squeezed and turn the platter into a puddle.
• Assemble no more than an hour ahead. The cream cheese weeps after too long and the tomato skins soften.
• Serve them on a bed of shredded lettuce or kale for a genuinely unsettling presentation.

Variations

• Tint the cream cheese with a drop of red food coloring for a gorier effect.
• Mix chopped chives or fresh dill into the cream cheese for grown-up flavor.
• Top each one with a tiny dot of sriracha for a red squeeze of “infection."