Floating Island Cheese Centerpiece (Printable)

An elegant cheese wheel surrounded by blue-tinted yogurt dip and grapes for a dramatic dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese

01 - 1 large wheel soft-ripened cheese (e.g., Brie or Camembert, about 17.6 oz)

→ 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), to achieve deep blue color

→ Garnishes

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

# Directions:

01 - Place the cheese wheel in the center of a large serving platter to create the island centerpiece.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Mix until smooth.
03 - Add blue food coloring gradually, stirring continuously until a deep lake-like blue is achieved.
04 - Carefully spoon the blue yogurt dip around the cheese wheel, forming a surrounding 'lake' effect.
05 - Place grapes around the edge of the blue yogurt lake to create a decorative border.
06 - Decorate the cheese island with fresh herbs or edible flowers as desired.
07 - Present immediately alongside crackers or bread for serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours when you actually spent fifteen minutes.
  • Everyone gravitates to it—there's something about the unexpected color and the drama that makes people actually want to try the dip.
02 -
  • The yogurt dip will continue to release liquid as it sits, so don't make it more than an hour ahead, or you'll end up with a puddle instead of a lake.
  • If your cheese wheel is too cold, it'll crack slightly when you cut into it later, so let it sit out for ten minutes before assembling.
03 -
  • If the yogurt looks too thin when you're mixing it, you can let it sit in a fine-mesh strainer for thirty minutes to drain excess moisture, which also makes the color more vivid.
  • The trick no one talks about is that the grapes should be slightly cold when you add them—it keeps them from getting soft and rolling off the yogurt.
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