Here is another appetizer that I came up with this past holiday season, which looks very festive on a serving platter, but is simple to make. It is also both savory and sweet.
I know I have mentioned before that I like to make my appetizers easy to eat in one or two bites. This allows guests to eat discretely while carrying on conversations. This appetizer has the added advantage of letting guests eat cheese without digging into the cheese board.
First I looked for good-quality white bread. I went with a locally made Oat Bran bread from Old Mill Bread Co., which I found at PCC. I purchased premade fig jam (although it is easy to make at home) and goat cheese.
Tina’s Tip: To get the cheese to the right consistency, I leave it in the package at room temperature for an hour or two before I want to use it, then put it in my pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. For the photo above, I used a star tip.
Fig and Goat Cheese Toast Points
Makes about 32 triangles which serves 8-10
One loaf good white bread, pre-sliced (you’ll only use 4 slices)
unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons fig jam
2 ounces goat cheese*
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Take slices of bread one at a time, and cut off the crusts, making it as close to a square as possible without a lot of waste. Then cut it into four smaller squares, and then cut each square in half again to form triangles. Leaving you with eight triangles.
Spread bread triangles on a baking tray covered with parchment, and brush bread with melted butter. Toast in a 350° F oven until brown on the edges but still soft in the center. Let cool.
About an hour before serving, spread the triangles with fig jam and either pipe on the goat cheese or add a crumble if you do not have a piping bag. Garnish with minced chives.
* Tina’s Tip: I like Purple Haze, which is a goat cheese with lavender, made by California’s Cypress Grove Chevre.
Thyme with Sage 