Whipped Goat Cheese with Blackberries and Basil
Whipped Goat Cheese with Blackberries and Basil
This creamy whipped goat cheese with blackberries and basil is SO delicious and perfect for summer entertaining! It all comes together in about 20 minutes and you only need a few ingredients. The blend of flavours from the zingy yogurt and cheese base, tart blackberries, sweet honey and flavourful basil is a burst of flavours in your mouth that you won’t regret! It’s incredibly easy to make, but you will look light a pro laying this down on the table before your guests. It’s both simple and delicious; the best combination.
I have found that hand whipping the goat cheese in a bowl with a whisk or hand mixer yields the best results. The food processor works quickly, but it leaves the texture more smooth and slightly less fluffy. However, either way works! The photos here show after using the food processor. Whichever way you choose to prepare the base, the flavour will not be compromised! And, next month when the blackberries are overflowing along the trails, this recipe will surely come in handy when you’re wondering what to use them all for!
Let’s go over the main ingredients:
Goat cheese - I LOVE goat cheese and paired with a little yogurt it makes the perfect base for this pretty appetizer. You want to use soft, unripened goat cheese for this recipe. It’s the kind that you usually put on a salad. It’s one of the more finer cheeses. You can find it at most grocery stores in the specialty cheese section.
Yogurt - Adding a little yogurt to the goat cheese enhances the flavour and texture and also makes it more spreadable. The two work really well together. I recommend using full-fat greek yogurt for this recipe. If you use a lighter fat yogurt, it will result in a more runny texture which is less ideal.
Lemon - You will need a small amount of lemon juice for cooking the blackberries and the zest from the entire lemon as well. The zest works well for adding into the goat cheese mixture as it adds flavour, but not liquid. It keeps the goat cheese base light and fluffy.
Blackberries - Blackberries are a delicious topping for the creamy goat cheese base. They’re sweet but also a little tart which works well for this appetizer.
Honey - Because the blackberries can be a bit tart, we are adding a little honey to the pot when we cook them down. We will also finish the plate off by drizzling some honey over everything before serving. Honey and goat cheese are a known pairing! The two complement each other very well.
Vanilla - A little vanilla goes a long way; you don’t need much to make a difference in flavour. I added a little to the blackberries during the cooking process and the flavours work beautifully.
Basil - Basil is another key ingredient in this appetizer! It works so well with the goat cheese, blackberries and honey! Basil has quite a strong flavour, so you don’t need much. A few small basil leaves here and there to garnish is perfect. I add some to the blackberries while they’re cooking as well to infuse a little extra flavour into them.
For serving:
Crackers - I love to pair this creamy whipped goat cheese with crunchy, artisan crackers. Yum!
Bread - French bread or homemade crostini’s would also work really well! Delicious!
Whipped Goat Cheese with Blackberries and Basil
Whipped Goat Cheese with Blackberries and Basil
Ingredients
- 300g soft unripened goat cheese
- 1/3 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt
- zest of 1 lemon, divided
- pinch salt
- 2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
- 2 tbsp honey, divided
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup basil
- crackers or bread, for serving
Instructions
- Add the blackberries, 1 tbsp honey, lemon juice, 1 stem of basil and vanilla to a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the berries are slightly broken down.
- While the blackberries are cooking, add the goat cheese, yogurt, zest of half a lemon and salt to a medium sized mixing bowl or food processor and whip until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the goat cheese on a large plate.
- Mash the blackberries gently and then spoon them over the goat cheese.
- Zest the other half of the lemon over the goat cheese, top with remaining 1 tbsp of honey and leftover basil leaves.
- Serve with bread or crackers on the side.