Spice up a fruit tray with a delicious dip
If you are searching for a quick and delicious appetizer that will please any crowd, consider serving up a tray of fresh fruit with a delicious dip. There are many recipes available that will add a little something extra to your favorite fruits. Most of these recipes work great with many different fruits from mangoes to bananas. Choose your fruits based on what is in season and can be bought locally fresh.
French Cream
Paula Deen, the southern cook made famous by her rich and delicious down-home recipes, has a great recipe for French cream dip on her website. The recipe calls for the following ingredients: 8 oz. cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup whipping cream, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, one lemon and pineapple juice to taste. Whip together the cream cheese and powdered sugar in one bowl. Then whip together the cream and granulated sugar in another. Zest and juice the lemon and add them into the mix. Then combine all the ingredients together and beat them until the mixture is consistent. Add the desired amount of pineapple juice for the taste that you want. The result is a creamy whipped fruit dip that goes perfectly with almost any type of fruit. Paula suggests serving it with pineapple, grapes, oranges, melons, berries and kiwi. The recipe provides about 3 cups of dip.
Caramel Apple Dip
Conjure up the taste of caramel apples that can usually only be found around Halloween. This creamy caramel dip goes great with sliced apples but will also taste great with pears and other fruit. Simply combine an 8-oz. package of cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients together until they are smooth and then serve it up.
Brie and Pecan Caramel Dip
If you're looking for something a little more rich and decadent than a simple yogurt dip, splurge on good brie for a creamy gourmet dip. Trim the rind off the top of a 15-inch wheel of brie. Combine 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar with 1/4 cup water. Allow the mixture to boil in a saucepan and then reduce heat and simmer until it is dark brown. After removing the mix from the heat, stir in 1/2 cup pecans and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Simmer the mixture for about another 5 minutes, allowing it to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat again and stir in 1 tbsp. butter. Place the brie on a decorative platter and pour the hot mixture over top. The hot caramel sauce will mix with the melted cheese, creating a rich and decadent dip. Serve the dip with apple and pear slices, along with some crackers.
Tags: cream cheese, great with, brown sugar, cheese powdered, cheese powdered sugar, cream cheese powdered
