This warmed goat cheese appetizer takes just 5 minutes to prepare and you can make it ahead of time.

Perfect for entertaining!

I love using creamy goat cheese all year round, like in this blueberry goat cheese crostini! So I knew I had to make a quick and easy version for the holidays.

To me, this goat cheese dip is perfect for when you’re entertaining and have guests over. It is ready in under 10 minutes and while it looks fancy, I promise it is so easy to make! How about pairing it with this apple cider bourbon cocktail?!

Why you’ll love this goat cheese appetizer:

• You only need 7 ingredients to make this!
• It takes just 5 minutes to prepare and then another 5 minutes to warm up the fig jam topping.
• You can prepare this ahead of time so it’s a quick party food!
• It pairs beautifully with crostini or crackers!

Ingredients Needed

Goat Cheese & Fresh Thyme: Goat cheese and thyme is one of my favorite flavor combinations, but you could swap it out for rosemary if you prefer.

Honey: If you don’t have honey in your pantry then you can substitute it for maple syrup.

Fig Jam: Not a fan of fig jam or don’t have any on hand? In a pinch you can swap it out for apricot jam, cranberry sauce or my pear-cranberry chia jam!

Pecans: Feel free to swap out pecans for chopped walnuts.

Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil: Gives a savoury note along with the balsamic vinegar.

Step by Step Process for this goat cheese appetizer

• Step 1: Spread the softened goat cheese in a shallow bowl or plate and drizzle with olive oil.
• Step 2: In a small pan, whisk the honey, fig jam and balsamic vinegar over medium heat. Heat for about 5 minutes.
• Step 3: Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for another 5 minutes.
• Step 4: Drizzle or spread this fig jam topping over the goat cheese.
• Step 5: Sprinkle over your chopped pecans and thyme sprigs.
• Step 6: Add a pinch of sea salt and serve with crostini or crackers. Enjoy!

Print

Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer with Fig Jam & Pecans

A simple holiday appetizer, this easy goat cheese dip with fig jam and pecans is sure to please all your guests! Make it in under 10 minutes!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword goat cheese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 300 g softened goat cheese  (about 0.66lb, 10oz or 1 1/4 – 1 1/3 cups goat cheese)
• 1/2 cup fig jam
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• crostini or crackers for serving

Instructions

• To a low bowl or plate, spread goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
• In a small pot warm honey, fig jam, balsamic over medium heat, whisking to combine. Heat for about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Drizzle or gently spread the fig jam mixture over the goat cheese.
• Top with fresh thyme leaves (remove the leaves from the sprigs) and pecan pieces.
• Add a pinch of sea salt and then serve with crackers or crostini.

Notes

• Want to make your own crostini? Preheat the oven to 400°Fahrenheit. Use a bread knife to slice a baguette into 1-inch thick slices. Brush the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes until toasted.
• Want to make this goat cheese appetizer ahead of time? Warm up the fig jam mixture on the stove and then let it cool completely. Once you're ready to serve, gently spread the fig jam mixture over the goat cheese. It won’t be warm but it will still be delicious.
• Feel free to swap out pecans for chopped walnuts.

FAQ

How do I make this ahead of time?

Want to make this goat cheese appetizer ahead of time? Warm up the fig jam mixture on the stove and then let it cool completely. Once you’re ready to serve, gently spread the fig jam mixture over the goat cheese. It won’t be warm but it will still be delicious.

How can I make crostini?

Preheat the oven to 400°Fahrenheit. Use a bread knife to slice a baguette into 1-inch thick slices. Brush the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes until toasted.

What else can I serve with this goat cheese dip?

I love having this appetizer with crackers or crostini, but you can also serve it with crunchy vegetables like carrots, celery or just serve with bread!

Expert Tips to make this goat cheese appetizer

• If you’re making crostini in the oven, keep an eye on them so they don’t burn! You want it golden and toasted.
• I recommend using fresh herbs rather than dried herbs for this dip, it makes all the difference!
• The best thing about goat cheese is how versatile it is, it goes with so many flavors! So feel free to swap out the herbs, nuts and jam depending on your tastes or what you have in the pantry.

Storage

Keep the goat cheese drizzled with the fig jam in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More holiday appetizers to love from the blog

Blueberry and Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer

Festive Market Cheeseboard

A Sparkling New Years Eve Party Menu

Decadent Hot Chocolate Board

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer with Fig Jam & Pecans appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

You can find all my favourite flavours of the season on this Brunch Board plus one simple and delicious bite for dessert, Plum Tarts!

And, other than having your best girlfriends around it isn’t brunch without something to cheers with SO grab a glass of XOXO Wines Rosé and let’s cheers to an easy, delicious brunch celebrating friendship and the summer season!

I partnered with XOXO Wines on this Brunch Board because I absolutely adore their Rosé and they are all about making every day an occasion! With flavours of strawberry and tea plus a hint of spice, XOXO Rosé is a very smooth sip that pairs beautifully with the seasonal ingredients in this Brunch Board.

You’ll find sweet and savoury ingredients on the Brunch Board including strawberries and cherries to tomatoes and goat cheese. I drew inspiration from the summer season and wanted to make this board as simple and straightforward as possible so that you can enjoy sipping on your XOXO Rosé and having fun with your friends!

One of my favourite memories with my best gals is gathering together over delicious food and fabulous wine. I’ve been doing this with friends since our early twenties and the inspiration for this Brunch Board comes from those fond memories.

So grab your girlfriends and let’s make an occasion out of brunch with XOXO Wines Rosé!

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Brunch Board

Inspired by the summer season, this Brunch Board has sweet and savoury ingredients to suit every taste. Plus, the Plum Tarts are the perfect dessert bite to top off a spectacular brunch!

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Keyword brunch

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Author Jess

Ingredients

Plum Tarts

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 2-3 large plums, sliced thin mix of red and dark purple plums
• 3 tbsp sugar I like to use cane sugar
• 1-2 tbsp butter, melted

Brunch Board

• 1 recipe for Plum Tarts
• 200 g gruyere cheese, cut into slices
• 8-10 slices prosciutto
• 1-2 cups multigrain crackers
• 1-2 cups granola
• 2 cups strawberries
• 4-5 apricots, sliced
• 1 small pint mixed cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 small baguette, sliced
• 1-2 cups coconut yogurt
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey or honeycomb
• 2-3 basil leaves for garnishing the goat cheese
• thyme sprigs, for garnish
• toasted and shredded coconut for garnishing the coconut yogurt

Instructions

Plum Tarts

• **Important: thaw puff pastry according to package directions**
• Pre-heat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut puff pastry sheet into 16 squares and place onto baking sheet, spaced a part.
• Using a fork, make dots throughout the middle of each puff pastry square, leaving about a half-inch border around the square.
• Place 3 plum slices on the middle of each square, approximately covering the space that’s been dotted with the fork.
• Brush the borders of each puff pastry square with melted butter and then sprinkle each square generously with sugar.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden around the edges.
• Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes on the pan. Then they are ready to be served!  Note: You can absolutely make these ahead of time and then sprinkle with a bit more sugar just before serving on your brunch board – they do not need to be served warm.

Assembling the Brunch Board

• Prepare the plum tarts and let cool.
• Find a serving board and 3-4 small serving bowls plus a couple of knives and spoons for serving.
• Slice and measure out all the remaining ingredients.
• Scoop the goat cheese into a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil.
  
• Scoop the coconut yogurt into a small bowl and mixed cherry tomatoes in their own small bowl.
  
• To create the brunch board, start by placing the three main bowls (goat cheese, tomatoes and yogurt) on the board. Then start to fill in with crackers, baguette and plum tarts. Continue to fill in spaces with fresh fruit, prosciutto and garnish with thyme sprigs.
  
• Use the Brunch Board photos to help guide your design or go with your own creative presentation! Don’t worry about fitting everything on the board to start with; you can always refill when needed.
  

There are so many amazing combinations of flavours you and your girlfriends can enjoy from this Brunch Board. Some of my favourites are:
–       Slice of baguette with goat cheese and tomatoes
–       Crackers with goat cheese, apricot slice and honey
–       Dip fruits into coconut yogurt then granola
–       Fruit, yogurt and granola
–       Plum tarts!

The best thing about this Brunch Board is that you can mix and match ingredients to suit your tastes. Many of the seasonal ingredients you can find right now at the market will go beautifully with XOXO Rosé too!

Hosting your own brunch soon?  XOXO Wines is available in local liquor stores and here in Alberta you can find XOXO Rosé, Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay and their Sparkling Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay – literally something for everyone’s tastes!

Want to hear the BEST part!? I’m hosting a contest giving away FOUR BOTTLES of XOXO WINES ROSÉ! Come on over to enter to win! *CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED*

I’d love to see your Brunch Board creations so comment below or tag @cookinginmygenes on Instagram.

Need more brunch inspo? Check out my other summer brunch ideas!

Happy brunching friends!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

Disclaimer: Thank you to XOXO Wines for sponsoring this post.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.

The post Summer Brunch Board appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Whether you’re hosting a your family and friends or you’re having a small, cozy New Year’s Eve at home, this menu is perfect for both.

I’ve created this entire menu with YOU in mind; keeping recipes easy to you can enjoy time with family & friends while celebrating 2018 – I promise there is something for everyone to enjoy as you ring in 2018!

When I think of New Year’s Eve the words ‘pop & clink’ always come to mind. I think back to my favourite New Year’s Eve parties and they were always just a ton of FUN! So with those words in mind, this colourful décor and menu were created.

Your party will start off with a refreshing mocktail, the Ginger Honey Sparkler!

The combination of honey & ginger with sparkling water creates the most delightful sip! Plus, I cannot get enough of the ‘frosted’ rosemary sprigs – they are so festive!

Ginger Honey Sparkler

Total Time: 15 minutes
Equipment: small pot, strainer
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled & cut into pieces
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 mint leaves
1-2 bottles sparkling water, chilled

Garnish:

6-8 rosemary stems (cut to fit nicely as a glass garnish)
1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Once simmering, turn to medium-low to keep at a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.

Once done simmering, take the pot off of the oven and strain out the ginger and mint leaves. Set the mixture in the fridge to cool for a few minutes.

When you mixture is cooling, make your garnish. Rinse your rosemary in water, shake to get excess water off and then roll through the sugar to coat – do this for each piece of rosemary.

Once the mixture is cool assemble your mocktails.  Add 3 tbsp of your ginger-honey mixture to a glass with 1/3 cup sparkling water. Then garnish with a rosemary sprig and add ice if needed.

Cook’s Note: As I was trying to come up with a cocktail my friend Gillian mentioned to me ‘why not try a mocktail,’ thus giving guests the choice of the mocktail OR transforming this drink into a cocktail. SO, if you want to make this drink alcoholic, gin, vodka or prosecco would be a nice addition.

To accompany your Ginger Honey Sparkler are Apricot & Pecan Brie Bites.

This recipe is a riff on what my girlfriend’s Steph & Pam call my ‘award-winning recipe,’ a recipe I created to win a Style at Home Magazine contest many, many years ago. To this day, the combination of apricot jam and brie never fails to impress!

Apricot and Pecan Brie Bites

Total Time: 30 minutes
Equipment: baking sheet
Servings: 20 bites (2-3 bites per person for 6-8 person party)

Ingredients:

1 square puff pastry, defrosted & rolled out OR 1 sheet puff pastry
175g brie, cut into 20 squares
1/3 cup apricot jam
20 pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

If using a square of puff pastry dough, roll out to approximately 12inch x 12inch square. Then, cut your puff pastry dough into 20 squares and place onto your baking sheet, spaced apart.

Cut the brie into 20 squares, making sure the squares are just slightly smaller than your puff pastry squares.

Bake your puff pastry squares for 10 minutes. Then, remove them from the oven and top each puff pastry square with about 1/2 tsp apricot jam, a square of brie and one pecan. Put the squares back in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, until brie is starting to melt.

And you can’t have a party without something sweet, so my Party Chocolate Bark does just the trick!

Using both white & dark chocolate, plus a ton of sparkly sprinkles, my Party Chocolate Bark is the perfect sweet bite to accompany your New Year’s Eve evening.

Party Chocolate Bark

Total Time: 50 minutes
Equipment: baking sheet
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

12oz/350g dark chocolate (approximately 2 cups dark chocolate chips)
12oz/350g white chocolate (approximately 2 cups white chocolate chips)
3 tbsp colourful sprinkles

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

First, melt your dark chocolate using a small pot on low heat, stirring constantly as the mixture melts. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments.

Pour the dark chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread out to about a quarter-inch thickness. Put the dark chocolate layer in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Once your dark chocolate has been in the freezer for 15 minutes, melt the white chocolate. Let the white chocolate sit for about 2 minutes and then remove the baking sheet from the freezer. Pour the white chocolate on top, smooth out and then sprinkle on the sprinkles. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Once your Party Chocolate Bark is set, break into chunks and keep refrigerated.

I hope you enjoy all of these recipes this New Year’s Eve; I’m sending you a virtual CHEERS from here in Calgary!

Thank you for visiting the Cooking in my Genes blog, I can’t wait to share with you so many new creations in the New Year!

More New Year’s Eve Recipe Inspiration from the blog

15 Food & Cocktail Recipes to Make for New Year’s Eve

Cocktails & Mocktails for New Year’s Eve

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post A Sparkling New Years Eve Party Menu appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.