This recipe has been altered slightly, but credit must be given to the Betty Crocker company as it belongs to them. This makes a great appetizer for a holiday meal or fun party platter for New Years. I love it because it’s super easy.
And the mystery behind this recipe? DIP THE CHEESE TOO!! Many guests of mine have enjoyed dipping the fruit, but the cheese is also really good and is meant to take the plunge as well. You can also use apples, pears, or bananas if the fruits below are hard to come by. However, we’ve found that the three below seem to work the best with the dip. Bananas are excellent, but brown quickly so may not be the most attractive choice for the party. Below you will see “chunked” fruit…is that even proper recipe language? Not sure, but I do know that you want those fruit pieces big enough that they can be dipped without falling off the toothpick. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Oh, and one warning: it is super filling…so go easy!
Ingredients:
- 1 container (8 oz) of strawberry cream cheese
- 1-2 cups lite cool whip
- ~1 cup frozen raspberries, slightly thawed (frozen raspberries in sauce is best)
- Cubed Gouda cheese (not smoked gouda!)
- Cubed cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp depending on preference)
- 2 cups chunked fresh pineapple
- 2 cups chunked kiwis
- 2 cups halved strawberries (ok, you can “chunk” these as well if you’d like)
- Optional: Frozen or sugar coated raspberries and fresh mint for decoration
Directions: Cut up your cheese and fruit as described above and arrange on a platter. These can be skewered, alternating fruits with cheeses, or you can simply put toothpicks out next to your serving platter. To make the dip, simply use a hand mixer to blend the raspberries with the cream cheese. If you do not have the raspberries in sauce (hard to find these days), then simply add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the raspberries and then add mixture and blend with the cream cheese. You can add more raspberries to taste. Then stir in the cool whip. I usually start with about 1.5 cups, and add more raspberries or cool whip to my liking. Scoop into a serving bowl, put it in the middle of your fruit and cheese, and enjoy!
