Featured Recipe
Cinnamon-Spiced Goat Cheese Bites
By Kate
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Quick no-cook spread made by rolling goat cheese balls in a mix of dried chopped cherries, ground cinnamon, fine sea salt, and toasted crushed pecans. Serves six. Prep under 6 minutes with no heating needed. Sweet, salty, nutty punch with tangy cream cheese. Great starter or snack. Keep chilled or wrap tight in plastic until ready. Simple technique emphasizes texture and flavor contrast. Sub cherries for cranberries if needed, pecans for walnuts or almonds. Salt level adjustable. Perfect balance between creamy and crunchy, tart and warm spice.
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Prep:
6 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
6 min
Serves:
6 servings
appetizer
snack
party food
Introduction
Goat cheese, creamy, tangy, pairs well with tart dried fruit. Toss in cinnamon for warmth, add nuts to break monotony of soft texture. Quick no bake, done in minutes but demands proper rolling and pressing for adhesion. Overwet cheese won’t hold dry mix, use chilled cheese not fridge-cold or too soft. Toast nuts yourself—no substitute for aroma. Dried cherries swap sweet cranberries but less sharp; toasted pecans take place of walnuts, smoother bite. Salt not just flavor but cuts sweetness. Simple, no fuss, all about balance and timing. Good appetizer or snack when you want something quick but thoughtful. Keep covered tight to hold freshness and crunch.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Goat cheese should be room temp but not melting. Too cold and it crumbles, too warm and sticky, ruining coating adhesion. Dried cherries can be swapped for dried cranberries or tart blueberries, chopped fine to avoid clumps that fall off. Ground cinnamon must be fresh, old powder kills fragrance. Fine sea salt distributes evenly over coarser salt, which can be substituted but use sparingly. Pecans toasted lightly so skin is crisp and aroma blooms but not burnt. Crushing nuts unevenly adds interesting texture contrast—leave some larger bits. If nuts allergy, replace with toasted seeds like pumpkin or sunflower, adjust quantities downward to avoid overpowering.
Method
Technique Tips
Start with toasting nuts before anything else, smell and color shifts well worth the wait, cool fully so coating mixture stays dry. Mix cherry, cinnamon, salt, and nuts just enough to combine but don’t pulverize nuts. Forming goat cheese into balls or logs with clean slightly damp hands helps shape without sticking. Rolling must be firm enough to press coating into cheese but gentle to keep soft texture intact. Serve immediately for crunchy coating or chill tightly wrapped to set flavors but avoid condensation ruining coating. If needed, slice just before plating to keep edges neat. Watch cheese moisture level, too dry means crumbly and no grip; too moist, coating slips off. Room temp cheese with precise rolling is key, not speed.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Start by toasting pecans first, see it change color and smell. Keep shaking the pan, don't burn. Cool completely so the mix stays dry. Chopped cherries add sweetness, mix nicely with spices.
- 💡 Room temperature cheese is key, too cold crumbles, too warm gets sticky. Use slightly damp hands for shaping logs. Press coating onto cheese firmly enough but gently not to squish.
- 💡 Always adjust salt. If coating too sweet, balance it out. Don't forget, larger nut pieces provide a nice crunch contrast. Experiment with alternatives like almonds or sunflower seeds if allergies are a concern.
- 💡 When serving, keep covered if not eating right away. Wrap tight to maintain crunch. If cheese sweats, coating will soften too fast. Better serve fresh, slice just before if possible.
- 💡 For flavor boost, add a sprinkle of black pepper in the nut mix before rolling. Spice variations like orange zest can add zest. Quick cleanup—using parchment paper can save time.
