Jump to Recipe

Print Recipe

A sweet, tangy, creamy topping for crackers and crostini

Did you buy more fresh cranberries than you needed for Thanksgiving? This is a perfect recipe for this weekend, or even today. In five minutes you will have an interesting spread to be served with some crackers or pretzels. Haven’t done enough cooking today? Make a batch of Homemade Rosemary Parmesan Crackers for a truly spectacular snack.

To learn more about this recipe, originally published in November 2016, keep reading.

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.