Thursday, May 13, 2010

Not your average fruit dip

I have to say I have never been a fan of fruit dips. You know, that seemingly obligatory, tooth-achingly sweet goop that shows up on fruit trays, salad bars, and at catered events. I'd come to the conclusion that the only reason that the only reason for its existence, was to mask bad, under ripe fruit. To somehow fool us into eating that rock hard cantaloupe or barely pink strawberry . Or perhaps like kids, we needed to be enticed into eating our fruit. Anyway, I've never seem a need for dip with fruit, but having been a caterer, fruit dip is regular request from clients, to be included with the mandatory fruit and veggie tray. I've made several different fruit dips over the years but never had one that appealed to me in the least. I was recently catered an event and needed that requested dip. So I decided to look for something new. This particular recipe caught my eye because it included coffee liqueur. It seemed like such an odd combination of ingredients that I just had to give it a try. The recipe said that the coffee liqueur was optional, so I added a couple of tablespoons to see if I'd like it.  Oh my! It's amazing. It tasted so good I added the rest of the 1/3 cup.  This recipe also called for cool whip, a product I never use, but I did this time. I plan to make it next time with sweetened whipped cream, and see how that works. I'm just glad I found a fruit dip that actually tastes good!!



Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

Source: (Sami Cameron, Corpus Christi, Texas, Southern Living, JULY 2007)
Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients: (printable recipe)

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coffee liqueur
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
assorted fruits

 


Method:
Beat brown sugar and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream, vanilla, and coffee liqueur, beating until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Cover and chill 4 hours. Sprinkle top of the dip with brown sugar garnish, if desired. Serve with fruit. Strawberries, pineapple, and grapes are really good with this dip.


This dip is not too sweet, with just the right amount of tang that it really compliments the fruit, and doesn't just mask it with sugar. The next time you have a party, whip up this dip to go with that fruit tray. You just might be a convert too!



39 comments:

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

This is a twist on what I think they call Mennonite strawberries where they dip them in sour cream and then brown sugar. I agree that it is very tasty!!!

Half Baked said...

Bellini Valli, Interestingly enough I come from a Mennonite background. Maybe that's why I found this dip appealing!! Thanks:)

Daily Cup of Jo said...

I just posted some strata recipes, looking for a menu for a big brunch. This dip looks perfect. Thanks!

Plain Chicken said...

That looks good. I am bookmarking this for the future.

Joanne said...

Ooo does that sound good! I have a feeling I would also love it smothered on a bagel!

grace said...

i've never been too excited about fruit dips myself--i think most fruit is just good enough on its own. however, the coffee liqueur aspect of this is definitely tempting, and of course, a little cinnamon wouldn't hurt... :)

Xiao Yen Recipes said...

Just reviewing the ingredients already tells me this is gonna be something I will love.

Recipes Quick and Easy said...

This sounds really good. I'm going to try it and let you know how we liked it. Wish me luck....

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

This sounds like something I need to remember!
Deelish~

Anonymous said...

wow this is a first.
but it looks amazing
i love the pciture with all the strawberries and the dip in the middle!

Eliana said...

Pass me a bowl of strawberries and this dip and I will be a happy camper.

FOODESSA said...

Very interesting combination of flavours. Especially the coffee part.
This would make a great accompaniment to my recipe of creamy cold yogurt and chocolate dip.
Thanks for sharing and flavourful wishes, Claudia

Beth said...

This is the perfect addition to my summer picnic tonight in Central Park! Thanks for the inspiration :)

Otehlia said...

I am really enjoying your blog! Beautiful posts, recipes and photos.
Can't wait to try some of your recipes.

Tiffanie said...

By chance is there any nutrition facts on this?

Half Baked said...

Hi Tiffanie, I looked to see if Southern Living had posted any nutritional info but they didn't give any. If you want to make a lower fat version, you could sub low fat or fat free sour cream and cream cheese. Sorry I don't have any more info than that!

Sidney said...

Is there any substitute for the coffee liquor?

Half Baked said...

Hi Sidney,
You could try making an espresso syrup (like you make a simple syrup)instead. I haven't tried it but I think it would give the coffee flavor with out the alcohol. Maybe try adding it a little at a time and tasting it because you may not need as much as the recipe calls for.

Kelly (white painted wood) said...

This is so yummy...it reminds me of when my husband and I were living in Maine and we went to this little (and I mean little) restaurant in Portsmouth, NH called the Blue Strawberry (AMAZING). I am not sure if it is even open anymore, that was 21 years ago. Anyway, the desert was a giant strawberry and they served it with sour cream and brown sugar! This yummy dip brought back sweet memories! Thank you.
Kelly

le said...

does the whip cream need to be whipped before mixing it in? or it should be just thawed and put in liquidy?

Half Baked said...

Hi le,
I used thawed Cool Whip which is an already whipped topping. It's not real whipped cream, it's a frozen topping. I have not tried making this recipe using real whipped cream. I hope that answers your question.

Anonymous said...

Is the coffee flavor really strong?

Half Baked said...

Anonymous, I couldn't really even taste the coffee. It just added flavor to the dip.

Vivian Green Centafont said...

I am assuming the coffee flavored liquor was maybe Kalua! If that's the case this has to be wonderful! I will definitely try this.

Vivian Green Centafont said...

I am assuming the coffee flavored liquor was maybe Kalua! If that's the case this has to be wonderful! I will definitely try this.

Anonymous said...

I am assuming the coffee flavored liquor was maybe Kalua! If that's the case this has to be wonderful! I will definitely try this.

Anonymous said...

Could you use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream? Looks yummy!

Half Baked said...

I haven't tried using Greek yogurt but I think it would be okay to use it as a substitute for the sour cream.

Anonymous said...

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Unknown said...

Have you tried the strawberry dip with 1 jar marshmallow fluff, 1 box cream chesse, and 1 tablespoon vanilla estract. It is also amazing.

Teaching With Glam and Glitter said...

Does it have to be coffee liqour with a vodka base or could it have a rum base?

Half Baked said...

I used Khalua which is rum based but I'm sure a vodka based one would work as well.

Unknown said...

Hi Half Baked! Looking forward to making this for a party this weekend. Can I make in advance?
Thanks :)

Half Baked said...

Hi Tricia, Yes about a day ahead should be fine. Just keep it covered in the fridge.

Stacy O said...

It sounds yummy but i was am wondering if the brown sugar actually dissolves in this or does it make it have a grainy texture? Thanks!

Half Baked said...

Hi stacy o, I didn't find this dip to be grainy at all. Hope you enjoy it!

Heather Hand said...

Hi - just wondering if you knew about how long it would keep in the fridge? Do you think it might freeze okay?

Thanks!

Heather Hand said...

Hi! I was wondering if you knew how long it would keep in the fridge? Any idea if it could be frozen and thawed?

Thanks :-)

Half Baked said...

Hi Heather Im not sure. I've never tried to freeze it but I think it would be ok.