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Are you surviving the Holidays? Why are they all packed into a 3 month period? Halloween, Thanksgiving, Ḥanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s…..all in a row! Well luckily for you {and me} this Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Log is a quick and easy appetizer recipe that will impress your guests without causing you any additional stress!
Princess Cassi came home for Christmas, and started telling me about all of the delicious foods that she has been eating in Florida. Florida is much more diverse than Iowa!! She created a holiday gift basket for her boyfriend’s parents that included Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Log, liver pâté, and crackers that sounded wonderful……so I knew that I had to recreate it myself…..
You start by going to the store to purchase a 10 ounce goat cheese log, pecans, pistachios, and dried cranberries. If you do not already have ground ginger and turbinado sugar in your pantry, you better buy those as well. 😉
How to make a Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Log:
Add the toasted pecans, pistachios, cranberries, sugar and ginger in the bowl of your food processor…..
Attach the lid, and PULSE until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pulverized into nut butter…..
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface and pour the nut mixture on top…..
Place the goat cheese log on top of the nut mixture…..
Lift the plastic wrap and roll the cheese log over the nut mixture to completely cover…..
Pat the excess mixture over the cheese log to fill in the blank spots if needed. Wrap in the plastic wrap until ready to serve, or serve immediately…..
If you chill your Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Log first, remember to pull it out of the refrigerator 15 minutes ahead of time to soften…..
The red and green colors make it perfect for Christmas. The cranberries and nuts make it perfect for Thanksgiving, and it’s pretty enough for New Year’s! Personally, I think it would also be great for game day. 😉
I served mine with an assortment of crackers and pretzel crisps, but bagel chips or thin slices of French bread would also be amazing!
More easy appetizer recipes:
- Simple Seafood Artichoke Dip
- Bacon-Wrapped Breadsticks Appetizer
- Caprese Bites aka TomatoPestoCheesecuit
- Spinach Dip aka Gillyweed Dip served in a bread bowl
- Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls
Enjoy!!
Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Log
Ingredients
- 10 ounce goat cheese log I used Ile de France chèvre
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 1/2 cup pistachios shelled
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- crackers for serving
Instructions
- Place pecans, pistachios, cranberries, sugar, and ginger in the bowl of your Stack and Snap Food Processor.
- Cover with lid and PULSE to chop ingredients to desired size.
- Place a sheet of plastic wrap on work surface and sprinkle with nut mixture.
- Place goat cheese log on edge of nuts mixture and roll to completely cover.
- Wrap in the plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Remove 15 minutes before needed so cheese can soften.
- Serve with assorted crackers.
Seana Turner says
That looks surprisingly easy. I’ll keep this in mind for the next time I host book group. I wouldn’t have thought to use sugar – yummy!
Lisa Johnson says
It is so easy to make Seana. 🙂 Thankfully Fresh Market thought to add the sugar. It helps to tone down the goat cheese just a little bit!
marcie says
This cheese log sounds delicious with the combination of nuts and cranberries, Lisa! Appetizers like this are so simple and festive, and some of my favorite to eat! Pinned. 🙂
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you Marcie. I am so glad that I got over my aversion to cranberries, or I never would have known how good they taste, LOL
Maralyn Woods says
This looks wonderful! AND I have every item in my kitchen right now. It all came from Trader Joe’s except the ginger. I need an intervention.
Lisa Johnson says
I need a Trader Joe’s!! I am so jealous that everyone else seems to have one. 🙂
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
So easy – and that Hamilton Beach Food Processor makes this look like a breeze to throw together! I can’t wait to try this at one of our get-togethers this year!
Lisa Johnson says
It was really easy, perfect for last minute as well. 🙂
Kim @ The Baking ChocolaTess says
What a great appetizer! I want some now, it looks that good! 🙂 Partying from Treasure Box Tuesday. Pinned and tweeted. 🙂
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you so much Kim!! 🙂
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
I’m such a goat cheese fan (okay, cheese in general) and I love this cranberry pecan garnish! I also adore Trader Joe’s….it’s the BEST.
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you so much Claire. 🙂