Sluttishly Easy: Avocado Crème

Avocado Crème is the very epitome of '80s finger food and today I'd like to bring it back!

There's nothing quite this mouth-watering dip on a crisp, breadstick or piece of pitta, and along with its simplicity this is why it's one of the vanishingly small number of recipes I know by heart. An old Rose Elliot recipe, it's been the star of every party I've held since as long as I can remember...

Here's what you'll need to make it:

1 ripe avocado
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
1 200g tub of Philadelphia or similar cream cheese ('light' versions work fine)
Tabasco Sauce
Paprika
Salt and Pepper

fork or (ideally) a potato masher

And here's what you'll need to do:

First, chop the avocado flesh into smallish chunks and put them in a mixing bowl. Crush up and add the garlic, followed by a few drops of lemon juice, then mash up the mixture using the potato masher or fork, until you have a fairly smooth paste.

I like to keep my dip slightly chunky, so don't worry if there are a few bits left in the mix.

Next, add the cream cheese, a few blobs at a time. 100g should be enough, but for a larger avocado you can use 150 or even 200 depending on how creamy you want it.



Keep mashing the mixture together and once the avocado and the cheese have blended, season with salt, pepper and enough Tabasco to give the dip a 'bit of a kick'. Definitions vary as to what this term actually means, but I tend to use at least 8 drops to make the dip nice and spicy.

Using a spoon, decant the dip into small bowls and garnish with a few shakes of paprika.

Bring on the breadsticks and serve!