Sweet dips for fruit is always a popular search on my blog, and so I thought I’d share this recipe just in time for those super summer strawberries. So often the sweetness of a perfect strawberry needs nothing else, but after dinner or perhaps when you’re having a visitor, a bowl of strawberries doesn’t quite cut it in the dessert stakes. So up the ante and put out a bowl or two of fruit dips, throw in some cantaloupe and red grapes and you’ve got sweet fruit fondu. Or get creative and whip up some hazelnut shortbread and you’ve got DIY strawberry shortcake.
There’s a few options when it comes to dipping fruit, and the first is always the Baileys fruit dip, which is basically pouring a splash of Baileys Irish Cream and a spoon of brown sugar into a pot of sour cream. However, if you don’t want the kids to get sozzled on Mummy’s fruit dip, then try replacing the Bailey’s Irish Cream with balsamic vinegar. I know it doesn’t really seem right does it? Vinegar and creme fraiche. Vinegar anywhere near fruit. But stay with me, it really is very, very nice. If I could describe the flavour it is somehow reminiscent of Coca Cola…somehow, but mostly it’s just a lovely creamy, sweet dip perfect for plopping fruit into.
Hazelnut Shortbread Recipe:
Ingredients:
75g raw hazelnuts
2 cups flour
250g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
Method:
Oven @170C
Blitz hazelnuts in the food processor till fine, but chunky pieces too.
Mix it all together, roll out and cut cookies.
Bake till just turning golden.
Using half-fat creme fraiche instantly makes this dip a little kinder to your waist line and if you want to be even more virtuous then why not try an Indian Shrikhand. A gift from the Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisine, Shrikand is made using strained yoghurt and given a subtle-spiced flavour by adding either nutmeg and/or powdered cardamom and saffron. The easiest way to get this going is to buy FAGE Greek yoghurt because it’s already been strained and is luxurious and thick – even the 0%. Add some icing sugar, a few pinches of nutmeg and cardamom, some saffron-infused milk (only a touch) and mix. Go by taste here – add the sugar to make it as sweet as you like it and remember to go easy on the spices. Let the flavour ripen a little before adding more – or it will be too strong. There are lots of varieties of Shrikhand, for example you can add some pureed mango to it, and it’s generally sprinkled with chopped pistachios or almonds.
Creamy Fruit Dip Recipe
Ingredients:
300g creme fraiche
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
50g brown sugar
