I received free samples of Breton Crackers mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe for Roasted Cherry, Whipped Goat Cheese, and Thyme Hors d’Oeuvres, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Breton Crackers and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
I can’t decide if this is an appetizer or a dessert. I also can’t decide which summer party to bring these too. And I super can’t decide whether or not to tell you the truth about how many of them I ate. (Hint: Pretty darn close to all of them.)
Cherry season is NOW, so I suggest you throw a party YESTERDAY and make Roasted Cherry, Whipped Goat Cheese, and Thyme Hors d’Oeuvres. I tried, as best I could anyway, to neatly spread the whipped goat cheese atop my Breton crackers with roasted cherries arranged just so in the center, drizzled with luscious pink juice, and scattered with thyme. And they are beautiful. Worth the time! But you know what tasted just as good? When I made the second batch (yes, I needed two batches) and I simply folded the cherries and thyme into the goat cheese and essentially made a roasted cherry-goat cheese-thyme spread that was easily portable and easily spreadable and could go on a boat without making a mess.
And go on a boat it did because I’m basically spending all of summer 2017 on a sailboat. Thankfully the recipe for Roasted Cherry, Whipped Goat Cheese, and Thyme Hors d’Oeuvres is short (shorter than that name almost!) and simple and easy to remember by heart because, if I can judge how delicious it was by how quickly it disappeared, I’ll be making quite a bit of it for all these boat outings.
It’s just the combination that gets you. The cherries are so sweet and juicy, staining your fingers pink and dribbling down your chin if you’re not careful. The goat cheese is soft and tangy and sits perfectly atop my light, crispy Breton crackers. Finished with the earthy and almost minty thyme. Those flavors are the can’t-stop-won’t-stop kinda flavors no one can refuse.
Summer cherries are the way to go in June, but I’m planning to give this a shot around the winter holidays with fresh cranberries too. And of course, on top of my Breton crackers, which are the perfect appetizer or snacking crackers for any occasion no matter the season. You can switch up varieties, but I’ll be sticking with Breton Original, in its simplest form, with that tender-crisp texture.
Roasted Cherry, Whipped Goat Cheese, and Thyme Hors d'Oeuvres
Roasted Cherry, Whipped Goat Cheese, & Thyme Hors d'Oeuvres are a can't-stop combo of juicy cherries, tangy goat cheese, and earthy thyme, atop a crispy Breton cracker.
Ingredients
- 36 large cherries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 10 ounces crumbled goat cheese room temperature
- 2 ounces whipped cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
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In a small bowl, toss the cherries and sugar together then arrange in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Roast until the sugar melts and begins to caramelize and the cherries start to release their juices, about 15 minutes. Toss every 5 minutes to keep cherries from burning. Once cherries are done roasting, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate about 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. When cherries are cool to touch, slice each cherry in half and remove the pit. Reserve the cherry juice.
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Meanwhile, add goat cheese, cream cheese, and pepper to a food processor and blend until uniform and soft.
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Spread each cracker with about 1 tablespoon of the whipped goat cheese. Top with 1 1/2 roasted cherries and sprinkle with thyme. Drizzle with reserved cherry juice just before serving.
Ahhh, I’m on a cherry kick and these look so good!
I am too, Deanna! Although, I believe THIS is what STARTED my cherry kick! 🙂
Hello summer! I’m a cherry fan from way back and can hardly wait to make this on Thursday…when I’m having a little happy hour party for some friends!
Wooh! Let me know how they turn out and what everyone thinks! So flattered you’ll try it!