I often joke that I’m a fat kid trapped in a skinny body. I like to eat. All the time. And I like to eat things that aren’t necessarily the healthiest. Put a bacon cheeseburger in front of me and I’ll happily house it. You're going to Taco Bell later? Get me a chicken quesadilla and a Doritos Fire Loco Taco, please. And I also have a big sweet tooth. I want to eat some kind of dessert every. single. day. *SHRUG* So when I remembered this dessert dip from my childhood and realized I had a block of cream cheese in my fridge, I got to work. Well, for five minutes anyway.
When I went shopping last week, I had been craving berries, so when I got to Costco and they had organic strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, I clearly bought them all. In Costco sized quantities. Because I’m a GROCERY ADDICT. It’s a real problem, people.
While my Debbie Meyer GreenBags are currently keeping them in good shape 7 days later, I know that I need to start working my way through them a bit faster than I have been. Sure, I’ve been enjoying berries with yogurt as a midday snack, but I need to start incorporating them more often throughout the day. And I wanted to incorporate them into dessert time so I can reasonably tell myself that I’m eating something healthy. Enter Cream Cheese Dip, a.k.a. the Lazy Girl's Cheesecake.
Did you know that cheesecake is my favorite kind of cake? And Joe's? That my Mom and I made our super secret recipe as Joe and my wedding cake? And that I eat bagels simply as vehicles to shovel ungodly amounts of cream cheese into my face? Well, now you do. I love cream cheese in all of its applications, especially as dessert. And this is a good one. If you have a block of cream cheese, a stick of butter and 5 minutes on your hands, I recommend you try this out. I’m about to slather a bunch on a Trader Joe's Cinnamon Graham Cracker*, cover it with berries, and tell myself I did a good job. See y’all tomorrow.
Cheesecake Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 block full fat cream cheese softened to room temp
- 1 stick butter, salted softened to room temp
- ¾ C powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 pinch kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter. Be sure to scrape down sides of bowl to ensure full incorporation.
- With mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar a bit at a time, doing your best not to powder your countertops. Add in vanilla and almond extracts. Add kosher salt to taste.
- Eat using whatever vehicle you prefer - spoon, graham cracker, apple slice, pretzel, breakfast quesadilla or your fingers. Don’t worry, I won’t judge.
Notes
Nutrition
*If you've never felt a real affection for graham crackers, I get it. Sometimes they can be a drab, boring affair leaving you wanting for anything to make them more exciting. However, that is not the case with TJ's Cinnamon Graham Crackers. They will ROCK. YOUR. WORLD. They're light, they're crispy, they're cinnamon-y and absolutely delicious all on their own. Don't worry. They're also a perfect accompaniment for Cream Cheese Dessert Dip.
Let's taco 'bout it.