The holidays have a way of stirring up a fair share of stress — the nagging questions of “What should I make for this dinner party?” or “Will people like what I make?” can be daunting. Not to worry — this recipe delivers the perfect mix of sweet and savoury. A main course is fleeting, but a good dip will always be there for snacking and guaranteed to be cleared by the end of the party. These dips are not your average plain dips — they bring texture and layers of complementary flavours to ensure the best dinner party spread.
Tools
2 large storage containers/bowls
1 mixing bowl
1 cooking pan
Paper towel
Whisk or stand mixer
Ingredients
Fried shallot spinach and artichoke dip
2 cups of spinach, washed thoroughly
1 whole can of artichoke hearts, drained and yields approximately 1 cup.
½ cup of pre-made fried shallots/onions
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ cups of freshly grated gruyere cheese
1 ½ cups of freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella
1 cup of sour cream
2 tsp of salt
3 tsp of ground black pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil
Recommended chips: crinkle or nacho chips, or crackers (if you are like me, dip your brussel sprouts with this or mix it with the mashed potatoes!)
Tiramisu dip
1 cup of mascarpone cheese
½ cup of heavy cream
¾ cup of cream cheese
⅔ cup of powdered sugar
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tsp of instant espresso/coffee powder
1 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp of salt
Recommended chips: biscotti, lady fingers, or crinkle chips
Instructions
Fried shallot spinach and artichoke dip
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- In a pan, cook the garlic and spinach until softened. Use a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture from the spinach.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked spinach and garlic, artichokes, grueyere, mozzarella, sour cream, salt, and black pepper. Reserve about a ½ cup of gruyere and mozzarella each to sprinkle on top after baking.
- Sprinkle the reserved cheeses over the surface and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
- Sprinkle the fried shallots over the surface upon serving.
Tiramisu dip
- In a small bowl, whisk the heavy cream, espresso/coffee powder and cocoa together until smooth. When you lift the whisk, a soft peak should form.
- Whisk the mascarpone, cream cheese, and powdered sugar together for about 2 minutes. Then, combine the whipped cream mixture, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk for another minute or until fluffy. Regardless of whether you choose a whisk or a stand mixer, the mixing time remains the same.
- Dust the surface with cocoa powder and refrigerate until it is ready to serve.
Amidst the holiday chaos and stress, we often forget the true joys of the holidays. Let this recipe be a reminder that the most valuable immaterial gift is the time — and maybe a really good dip — we share with family and friends. Enjoy and happy holidays!
