If there’s one thing we love about the hot summer months it’s that it brings an abundance of our favorite fruits, especially in our large agricultural area. Every year at the beginning of June we drive out to one of the many orchards in the area to go berry picking. We fill those buckets with as many berries our fingers can pick. We then bring home our stash to divide into bags to freeze, to bake with, and of course a good portion to eat fresh. I’m always looking for new ways to pair fruit with other ingredients and knew I had to try our favorite cheesecake dip with Triscuit crackers, strawberries, and chocolate. These strawberry cheesecake bites are perfect for parties and summer BBQs.
I’ve shared our cheesecake dip in several recipes before but for this recipe I wanted to use it as a spread. The spread is creamy and sweet, then it’s topped with a sliced strawberry and chocolate drizzle. One or two crackers are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth with a hint of salt using the Original Triscuit crackers. We plan to share this appetizer during our Fourth of July celebration and I can’t wait to share it with our friends.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- strawberries, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare cheesecake spread by combing cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Over a double boiler melt chocolate then transfer to a piping bag.
- Spread about a teaspoon of cheesecake mixture on cracker, top with sliced strawberry and drizzle chocolate.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes to harden chocolate before serving.
My inspiration for the sweet and salty combination came from Triscuit Maker The Jam Stand. The company is based out of Brooklyn and originated by two best friends who were interested in learning the process of jam making. With unique flavors their company reflects who they are and their community. The Jam Stand has partnered with Triscuit to create a Cherry Ginger Jam that balances the spiciness of ginger with the sweetness of cherries. The jam compliments the subtle saltiness of Original Triscuit crackers perfectly.
After learning about The Jam Stand I realized I have never tried jam on crackers. After considering this and making the cheesecake bites I realize how perfect salty crackers like Original Triscuit are for pairing with something sweet. The subtle saltiness balances out the cheesecake spread and adds texture. This was a treat our whole family can enjoy and will be part of our party menu this summer.
Triscuit sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.
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