Whipped Goat Cheese Spread

Oh hai.

So this summer I met my sister-in-law for happy-hour on the roof of a restaurant in Seattle. Just your run-of-the-mill afternoon in Seattle where you wander into a traditional French cafe and watch the sunset over the Puget Sound while you sip champagne cocktails.

I was meeting her to catch a ride to Portland during The Dark Days of Unemployment - I was taking the short ride to see if it would broaden my potential job options. But obviously we needed nourishment before hitting the road.

I have long-since forgotten most of what we ate, but one dish has stuck with me over the months. We enjoyed whipped goat cheese spread with crostini and crudites. The cheese was light and mousse-y; salty and tangy, and utterly addictive.

This spread takes about 3 minutes to whip together if you have a food processor and at least 30 minutes to set up in the fridge. Aside from prepping the sides, this comes together so quickly that it will be easy to add into any holiday party line-up! Also consider adding in a few tablespoons of chopped herbs to any batch. The original recipe calls for chives, and I've seen basil used in other variations. Chopped rosemary, parsley, or even cracked pepper.

As you can imagine, any sort of toppings will work well with this. I chose to make mine with some cracked pepper in the spread, and a light dusting of smoky spicy paprika on top. I shmooshed it on some lightly toasted baguette and topped it with prosciutto or thinly sliced radishes.

It tasted surprisingly like summer, and with the variety of toppings, can be a great all-season party treat. Or, if you're ambitious, great for two people with a bottle of bubbles and your next holiday movie marathon.


Whipped Goat Cheese Spread
Adapted from The Internet

Serves 4 as an appetizer

1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbls milk
4 oz. soft goat cheese
1 - 2 Tbls mix-in of your preference

1. In a bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, add all the ingredients.
2. Pulse the ingredients until combined. Turn the blade on and whip until light and fluffy - only about 30 seconds.
3. Spoon the mixture into a ramekin - mine came straight to the rim. Top it with a piece of parchment and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Serve with crackers, bread, veggies, meat, and/or spoon.