Possible Allergy warning – please read all recipes carefully
and be aware of any allergies or sensitivities that may affect your health and well-being

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Please Fave the original Here

Something to cool off during / after the July 4th heat from !

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Possibly one of the worst presentations Vrghr has offered, but darn if it wasn't totally tasty!

So, ugly photo aside, wuff wanted to post this so others could enjoy the scrumptious flavors.

And so totally easy to create, too! Wuff started with a basic recipe for "grape salad" and kicked it up for Independence Day to make it red, white, & blue with Strawberries, white Grapes, and Blueberries.

Vrghr will add the "basic" grape salad version below as well, in case furs want a simpler but still totally tasty fruit offering.

This has a lovely, creamy and sweet coating over tasty grapes and strawberries, with a touch of tartness from the blueberries. The 3 flavors really mix well together.

For a special treat, serve it over one of those store-bought "shortcake rounds" or some pound or sponge cake!

INGREDIENTS:

4 lbs Fruit: for the "patriotic" version use 2 lbs seedless green and/or red grapes, 1 lb frozen blueberries, and 2 quarts fresh strawberries (or 1 lb frozen)
2 TBS granulated sugar if using the blueberries & strawberries, not needed for grapes-only version
10-12 full size (double squares) Graham Crackers, crushed to fine crumbs (or 1 C pre-made graham cracker crumbs)

For the "sauce":

16 ox unflavored Cream Cheese spread (or 12 oz softened cream cheese block)
6-8 oz Sour Cream
1 TBS White Sugar + more to taste
1 TBS Brown Sugar + more to taste
1 tsp Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Pick the grapes off the stems
Top the green leaves from the strawberries and cut into halves/quarters depending on the size of the berry

Add the strawberries to a 2 qt ziptop bag and sprinkle with 1 TBS of granulated white sugar. Zip the bag and kneed/shake to distribute the sugar evenly over the berries. Refrigerate for at least an hour (or more) for the sugar to pull juices from the berries

Add the frozen blueberries to a 1 qt ziptop bag and sprinkler with 1 TBS of granulated white sugar. Zip and shake to distribute the sugar. Allow to thaw at room temperature until none of the berries are frozen and the sugar has pulled out the juices.

If you remember, grab and shake up those bags of fruit every hour or so to help distribute the sugar/juice and pull more syrup out

Mix together all the ingredients for "the sauce" EXCEPT FOR THE Vanilla. If necessary, zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to warm slightly to help the cream cheese mix in smoothly. If its still tough to combine without lumps, zap it again, but don't go overboard and boil it!. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking with more white and brown sugar if needed. Wuff favors the brown sugar here, for a more caramel flavor for more complexity

For the Grapes Only version: Mix in the vanilla now. Add the grapes to a large bowl. Add the sauce on top, and stir everything together to combine. Sprinkle a layer of the graham cracker crumbs on top and refrigerate until serving time

For the "patriotic" version: Separate the sauce into 3 equal portions. Mix the strawberries and all their juices into one, the blueberries into another, and add the vanilla and mix the grapes into the last. Layer the blueberries into a bowl or trifle dish. Add a layer of graham cracker crumbs on top. Repeat with the grapes and the strawberries with a layer of crumbs between them and on the top. Refrigerate until serving time.

Dish into serving bowls.
Optional, serve over shortcake rounds or sponge/pound cake
Optional, dress the top with chopped pecans instead of crumbs.

!DEVOUR!

Note: This will work with just about any fruit. Use different colors for different holidays, or just go with whatever flavors you like best!