Apple Dip

It's CHRISTMAS!!!! That means Christmas parties are coming.  That means I can make Apple Dip.  Because this is the ONLY time of year that I allow myself to make this.  And I only make this for parties.

That way I'm not left gorging on an entire bowl of it myself.  Because I can.  And I would. 

Apple Dip
Recipe from Quick Cooking Magazine
Prep time: 15 minutes


8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping
Lots of super tart apples, like Granny Smith
2 tbsp lemon juice

1.  In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth; stir in marshmallows.

Use kitchen shears to quarter big marshmallows into minis.

2.  Spoon half into a 3-cup bowl; spread with half of the hot fudge topping. Repeat layers.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chocolate fudge is NOT like Hot Fudge topping!!

THIS is the good stuff.

3.  Toss the apples with lemon juice. Serve immediately with dip. 

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

Layer 4

There are two things I've learned about this dip in the last 8ish years I've been making it:

• Even if you prefer to eat sweet apples, you MUST get the tart ones for this.  This dip is rather rich and very sweet.  Tart apples have that bite to balance out the sweetness.  A sweet apple is just going to make this taste like sweet overkill. 
• Not all fudge ice cream toppings are created equal.  A couple times now I have been lured into saving .10 and buying chocolate fudge topping instead of hot fudge.  NEVER AGAIN!!!  Chocolate fudge has a thinner, looser consistency that's easier to spread, but not dense enough to hold up that second peanut butter layer.  You really do need that slightly more expensive, thicker hot fudge topping.