Honey Crunch Goat Cheese
This recipe is modeled after a popular gourmet food shop find. They brilliantly gave rise to the combination of sweet and tangy, honey + goat cheese. For me, the addition of a toasted crunch layer finishes it and makes it salad-ready, cracker-ready, bagel-ready, and a tad more delicious!
- 8-11 oz. goat cheese (log or round form, not crumbled)
- 2-2.5 tbsp. good quality, pure honey
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut shreds, toasted and cooled (see TIP A)
- 1/2 c. pistachio meats (or other nuts), toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped (see TIP A)
-
Break goat cheese log or round into large chunks and put them in the bowl of a large food processor with the traditional spinning blade in place. Add honey and salt over top of goat cheese and whir until combined.
-
Transfer goat cheese mixture to a clean, cool work surface and form it into a 6-inch log. Thoroughly wrap the log in plastic wrap and roll it back-and-forth a few times on your work surface to regain its log-like shape. Put log in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm-up.
-
Spread toasted coconut or nut pieces across the center of a cool, clean baking sheet. Unwrap the honey goat cheese log and gently roll it back-and-forth over the crunchy coating, pressing pieces into the goat cheese as you go. Be sure to thoroughly coat all sides of the goat cheese log. Then give the log a final gentle roll to regain its shape. Transfer to a serving platter or cheese board to serve. See TIP B for make-ahead approach.
TIP A: Toasting coconut or nuts pretty much follows the same procedure. Evenly spread the shreds or nuts across a dry baking sheet or large oven-proof skillet. Bake in a pre-heated 350° for 4-7 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Once done, immediately transfer the pieces to a plate or wide bowl to cool completely. You can also toast coconut and nuts in a large dry skillet on your stovetop over medium heat. Just make sure that the pieces are not too crowded and that you watch them carefully as they can burn easily.
TIP B: The texture and flavor of the crunch layer hold-up best if applied right before serving. In order to make this recipe in advance, I recommend prepping the honey goat cheese log up to 3-4 days in advance and keeping it in the fridge (not freezer). Then, right before you plan to serve, add the toasted coconut or nut coating.
Off-Script Tip: To go off-script on this Off-Script Recipe, give some other toasted crunch coatings a try—like toasted sesame seeds. Or, combine toasted coatings. Toasted coconut and toasted pistachios together on the same log would be fantastic! Just steer clear of anything too sweet or too savory so that the flavor of the crunch layer does not conflict with the flavor of the goat cheese.
Cynnie Kellogg · July 22, 2018
Great recipes!
off-script recipes · July 22, 2018
Thanks, Cynnie! So glad you’ve been following along.