Floating Island Cheese Dip (Printable Page)

A cheese wheel surrounded by blue yogurt dip and dark grapes creates a stunning, easy appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese

01 - 1 large wheel of soft-ripened cheese (Brie or Camembert), approximately 1.1 pounds

→ Dip

02 - 14 oz plain Greek yogurt
03 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - Blue food coloring (gel or natural), as needed

→ Garnishes

07 - 9 oz seedless black or red grapes
08 - Fresh herbs (optional, for decoration)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Place the cheese wheel centrally on a large serving platter to serve as the island centerpiece.
02 - In a medium bowl, blend Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt until smooth.
03 - Gradually add blue food coloring to the yogurt mixture, stirring continuously until a deep lake-blue hue is achieved.
04 - Carefully spoon the blue-tinted yogurt around the cheese wheel, forming a lake-like border.
05 - Arrange seedless grapes around the edge of the yogurt lake to create a decorative boundary.
06 - Optionally adorn the cheese wheel with fresh herbs or edible flowers, then serve immediately with crackers or bread.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It takes fifteen minutes but looks like you spent the whole afternoon plotting something beautiful.
  • People actually gasp when they see it, which never gets old no matter how many times you make it.
  • The contrast between creamy, garlicky yogurt and soft cheese is quietly addictive in a way that keeps guests reaching for more.
02 -
  • Let the cheese come to room temperature before serving or it will resist the cracker and guests will struggle; thirty minutes on the counter changes everything.
  • Add the blue coloring slowly because one moment you have a soft periwinkle and the next you have something that looks like a swimming pool, and there's no undoing it.
03 -
  • Chill the platter for thirty minutes before assembling if your kitchen is warm; this keeps the cheese from getting too soft and the yogurt from sliding around.
  • Serve this at the beginning of a party rather than the end, when people are hungry enough to actually enjoy the cheese instead of just picking at it politely.
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