Brownie Batter Dip

I don't know if there's anything more adorable than the idea of a group of preschoolers having a tailgate party. I mean, a bunch of four-year-olds dressed in their team's colors, eating tailgating food? The cuteness of that is off the charts!

Andrew's class had a tailgating party recently, and by the time I made my way to the sign-up sheet, all of the spots for specific items (fruit, cheese, yogurt, juice boxes, etc.) were already filled. But that was more than okay with me! I placed Andrew's name on one of the "other" lines and immediately began to brainstorm what I'd make.

There are obviously lots of football-shaped food ideas out there, but given his class's food allergies and my own time limitations, I wanted something very simple. I finally decided on brownie batter dip with various dippers, since I knew that would be a big hit with the kids. To make it even more festive, I served it in an oval-shaped dish and piped football laces down the center with white decorating frosting.

Not only is the presentation adorable, but this dip is also absolutely delicious. It is so addictive, and really does taste like brownie batter (minus the raw eggs, of course). The kids seemed to like it best with graham crackers, but I preferred it with salty pretzels to balance out the sweetness. It's both a blessing and a curse that I brought home leftovers from Andrew's preschool. This dip is perfect for tailgaters of any age!

Brownie Batter Dip

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for a stiffer consistency, if needed

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 tablespoons milk

Pretzels, strawberries, graham crackers, animal crackers, etc. for dipping

1. In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Mix well.

2. Add the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk. Mix until fluffy and smooth. Add additional powdered sugar and/or milk, if needed, until desired consistency is reached. The dip should be soft enough to easily dip a pretzel in (without breaking the pretzel!) but not so soft that it spreads out instead of holding its shape.

3. To make it tailgate-themed, serve in an oval dish and pipe football laces down the center with white frosting.