Courtesy Helen Lampkin
Creamy cheeses,buttery avocado and a tangy tomato layer topped with crunchy pepitas bring satisfaction in every bite. Enjoy with corn tortilla chips, buttery crackers,or toasted bread. This makes a beautiful presentation when layered up in a springform pan. Also works well to present as mini avocado toasts.
Avocado & Pico Layer Dip
6” springform pan
Layer 1
12 oz. whipped* cream cheese
4 oz. grated cotija cheese or parmesan
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Layer 2
4 ripe-firm avocados, peeled
1 lime, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
1 – 2 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Layer 3
3 roma tomatoes, seeded, drained, petite dice
3 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Layer 4
Cotija cheese or parmesan
Pepitas, roasted/salted
Cream together cream cheese and cotija cheese. In a springform pan coated with cooking spray, spread the cheese layer, smoothing the top.Dust with ground cumin. In a small mixing bowl combine avocado, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and garlic using a steel whisk. Don’t over mix, leave some texture to protect the integrity of the avocado! Spread the avocado mixture on top of the cheese mixture. Smooth the top.In a small bowl combine the diced tomato, scallions, lemon juice and salt. Drain in a colander lined with a paper towel. Spread the tomato layer on top of the avocado layer. Garnish with cotija cheese and pepitas. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Remove from the refrigerator and release the sides of the springform pan and place onto a serving platter. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or toasted bread.
To make mini avocado toasts: Prepare the layers separately as listed above. On crostini or mini toasts layer the layers exactly as in a springform pan…just tiny amounts! Place on serving platters.
*You can substitute the same amount of brick style cream cheese(softened) and just whip with a hand mixer.
yield 8 servings