Description
A delightful appetizer featuring creamy whipped goat cheese topped with sweet cranberry sauce and crunchy candied pecans, perfect for any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cranberry sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup cranberries
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the candied pecans:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pecans
- Pinch salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
For the whipped goat cheese:
- 8 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
For serving:
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped rosemary
- Flake sea salt, as needed
- Crostini or toasted bread
Instructions
- Make the Cranberry Sauce:
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add cranberries, brown sugar, ½ cup of water, orange zest, and vanilla extract.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until cranberries burst and sauce thickens (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare the Candied Pecans:
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir until the sugar melts and mixture simmers.
- Add pecans, salt, and cinnamon, stirring to coat. Spread pecans over a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool. Once cooled, roughly chop.
- Whip the Goat Cheese:
- In a food processor, combine goat cheese, cream cheese, honey, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble and Serve:
- Spread whipped goat cheese on a shallow plate. Top with cranberry sauce and candied pecans.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with flake sea salt, garnish with rosemary, and serve with crostini or toasted bread.
Notes
- This dish can be made a few hours in advance; just store components separately and assemble before serving.
- Experiment with different nuts or herbs to customize the flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop, Food Processor
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 10g1
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 20mg