Whipped Goat Cheese with Bacon, Dates and Almonds

This Whipped Goat Cheese with Bacon, Dates and Almonds has it all. It’s creamy, tangy, herby, salty, sweet, and crunchy. The flavors go so well together, and with so many wonderful variations in textures, your holiday guests will keep coming back for more. And best of all, it comes together quickly and can be prepped ahead of time. Let me tell you how to make it.

First, make sure your goat cheese is at room temperature. I usually set it out in the morning, so that by the afternoon it’s very soft. Add the goat cheese, honey, and heavy cream to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip it together for about one minute, scraping down the sides as needed. When the cheese is smooth and fluffy, spread it out on a serving plate. It is helpful to have curved edges on the plate to hold everything in place when dipping.

Next, slice the bacon into small pieces and crisp them up over medium heat. Then drain them on a paper towel, leaving about 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease in the pan. Add the sliced almonds and toast them until they are golden along with the herbs. You could use any nut you prefer, but I love the delicate crunch of sliced almonds. If you don’t have herbs de Provence, you can use a mixture of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, basil, oregano, or parsley. I like to buy the jar from Trader Joe’s. It also has lavender in the mixture, and I love that subtle floral note.

If you are trying to prep ahead, you can have your bacon cooked, your almonds toasted, and your dates chopped well in advance. It will only take a few minutes to whip the cheese and add your toppings when you are ready to serve.

Once you have added your bacon, dates, and almonds, sprinkle some sea salt over the top and add a few turns of freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with honey and give it a taste, making sure you get a little bit of everything in one bite. Add more salt, pepper, honey or herbs to taste. I serve this with crackers to keep things simple, but it would be so good on crusty toasted baguette slices as well.

Whipped Goat Cheese with Bacon, Dates and Almonds

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• Author: Julie
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings
• Category: Appetizers
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Creamy whipped goat cheese topped with crispy bacon, sweet dates, and toasted almonds perfect for holiday snacking!

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Ingredients

• 10.5 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 slices bacon
• 2/3 cups sliced almonds
• 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence 
• 6 fresh Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste 
• Extra honey for drizzling 
• Crackers or crusty sliced bread for serving 

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Instructions

1. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip goat cheese, honey and heavy cream until smooth (about 1 minute) scraping down the sides as needed. Spread the whipped goat cheese onto a serving plate. 
2. Chop bacon slices into small pieces and then cook in a pan over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel, leaving a teaspoon or so of the bacon grease in the pan. Add sliced almonds and herbs and toast until golden, watching carefully. 
3. Sprinkle crispy bacon, toasted almonds, and chopped dates evenly over the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with honey to desired sweetness. Serve at room temperature with crackers or crusty sliced bread. 

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