Cream Cheese and Caramel Strawberry Dip

If I had the nerve to mix up more batches of this thick, rich and decadent cream cheese and caramel dip, I might have discovered that it works just as well with fruit like grapes, melon balls or apple slices. Preferring a rather trim waistline however, all I can tell you about the combination of tangy cream cheese and sweet caramel is that it turned the season's first pickings of fresh juicy local strawberries — already a delight by themselves — into an astonishingly luscious and enormously guilty treat. But once a year is enough!

Better results will be obtained if you can find a more natural and creamier product than ordinary Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Those of us in Ontario are fortunate to find a smooth and delicious cream cheese from Western Creamery, without any added stabilizers or gums for an authentic cooking and eating experience.

Cream Cheese and Caramel Strawberry Dip

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on August 1, 2009 Fresh strawberries coated with a rich cream cheese and caramel sauce Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 8 oz (250 g) cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons water 2 teaspoons arrowroot flour or corn starch 2 pints fresh strawberries, washed and dried Instructions: Whip the cream cheese in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the yogurt and vanilla, and set aside. Combine the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and gently, for about 5 minutes or until the caramel drips slowly from the spoon. Do not overcook or let the sugar burn. Immediately pour the caramel from the pan into the cream cheese mixture and blend. Mix in the arrowroot flour or corn starch thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve. Serve in a bowl with fresh strawberries for dipping, or remove the tops from the strawberries and toss in the dip for serving in small dessert bowls. Makes 6 to 8 servings