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A sweet, tangy, creamy topping for crackers and crostini

Did you need a simple appetizer for Thanksgiving? Make your cheese and cracker board more interesting with this simple cheese spread. If you have extra time on your hands, make a batch of Homemade Rosemary Parmesan Crackers for a truly spectacular snack.

The original post from November 2016

How do I love goat cheese? Let me count the ways. (You may want to sit down. The list is pretty long.)

Rather than listing all of the ways that I enjoy goat cheese, I’ll take a simpler approach and explain why I like it so much. First, there’s the tangy bite it has that pairs nicely with the sweetness of fruit. Second, there’s its spread-ability. Although it can be more crumbly than smooth when chilled, it becomes a delight to spread at room temperature. Third, it adapts to so many dishes, from a simple topping for cheese and crackers to a filling for sandwiches to a component of dessert.

When I think of using goat cheese as part of a cracker platter, I often think about topping it with a compote. For this recipe I decided that I would switch it from a 2-piece (cheese and compote) to a 1-piece topping. Since I wanted the flavor of the fruit immersed in the goat cheese, I utilized my handy, dandy food processor. This netted a pinkish goat cheese spread. With a little bit of imagination you could even call it verging on holiday red.

Even if that’s a bit of a stretch, the use of cranberries definitely gives this cracker and crostini topping a holiday feel. Be sure to use fresh cranberries for the recipe. Frozen cranberries will add too much moisture and dried cranberries won’t process as nicely.