Fig And Goat Cheese Appetizer Recipes

FIGS-IN-A-BLANKET WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Stir vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and 1 cup water in a medium pot. Add figs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until figs are softened and liquid has almost evaporated and is a syrupy consistency, 7-10 minutes. Transfer figs to a plate; let cool.
• Beat egg with 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. If using a 14-ounce package with 1 sheet of pastry, roll pastry to an 18x12" rectangle on a lightly floured surface. If using a 17-ounce package with 2 sheets of pastry, roll each sheet to a 12x9" rectangle. Cut pastry along the 12" side into 12 (1-inch-wide) strips. Cut each strip crosswise into pieces about 4 1/2" long. You should have 48 (4 1/2x1") strips pastry.
• Scoop a heaping 1/2 tsp. cheese and press into cut side of 1 fig half. Place fig half in the center of 1 pastry strip. Brush 1 end of pastry with egg wash and roll to enclose. Transfer seam side down to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese, figs, and pastry. Brush top of each pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds, if using. Bake pastries, rotating and switching sheets top to bottom halfway through, until golden brown and puffed, 15-18 minutes.
• Do Ahead
• Figs can be cooked 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

FIG AND GOAT CHEESE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and eggs. Add sausage; mix lightly but thoroughly. Divide into 36 portions. Shape each portion around 1/2 teaspoon cheese to cover completely. Place meatballs on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until cooked through, 25-30 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and star anise to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Add figs; cook until softened, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Transfer to a blender. Add 1 cup water; process until almost smooth. Serve with meatballs. If desired, top meatballs with chopped chives. Freeze option: Freeze cooled meatballs and sauce in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan, stirring gently; add a little water if necessary.

FIGS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Use your fingers to roll the goat cheese into 24 1/2 teaspoon-sized balls.
• Cut figs in half. Press a cheese ball into the center of each fig. Plate them and drizzle with vinegar. Serve within an hour.

ELEGANT FIG APPETIZERS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven broiler for high heat.
• Place the fig halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Top each half with about 1/2 teaspoon goat cheese. Place one almond on each, press to push the cheese slightly into each fig.
• Broil the figs in the preheated oven until the cheese is soft and the almonds are turning a rich shade of brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the broiler and let cool for 5 minutes. Arrange the figs on a serving platter and drizzle with honey and balsamic vinegar. Serve warm.

FIG AND GOAT CHEESE BRUSCHETTAS

Steps:

• Place the orange zest and orange juice in a medium (10-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sugar, vanilla bean, and figs to the pot. Cover and bring to a full boil over medium heat. (Don't worry; it may look dry.) Stir the mixture and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat, and cook uncovered at a full simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the little bubbles to be throughout the pot, not just at the edges. After 45 minutes, refrigerate a small amount of the liquid to see if it becomes syrupy. It should be like a soft fruit preserve. Keep cooking just until the liquid starts to gel when cold. If the liquid is too firm, add a little orange juice or water, cook for a minute, and test it again until it's right. Depending on how ripe the figs are, they will probably keep their shape, but it's fine if they don't. Discard the vanilla bean and serve or refrigerate.
• Before serving, toast or grill the bread and spread with goat cheese. Spoon the fig preserves on, then the grated orange zest if using, and serve.

FIG AND GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Toast the bread in a toaster and while it is still warm, spread the fig spread on each slice to cover it entirely. Place the cheese in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, until it's creamy and spreadable. Spread a layer of the cheese on the fig spread, leaving the edges of the fig spread visible. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cut each toast crosswise to make appetizers that will be easy to eat. Place a fig slice on each piece, top with a few microgreens, and drizzle lightly with the balsamic vinegar. Serve at room temperature.

FIG AND PROSCIUTTO APPETIZER BITES

Steps:

• Place goat cheese on a sheet of plastic wrap. Top with another sheet of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to flatten into a 4x8-inch rectangle.
• Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and cover goat cheese with slices of prosciutto, slightly overlapping the edges. Cover prosciutto with a new sheet of plastic wrap and flip both sheets over so the goat cheese layer is now facing up.
• Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Cover goat cheese evenly with figs, basil, and black pepper. Starting from the long edge, roll tightly to form a log. Wrap log in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

FIG JAM AND GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400°F
• Cut the baguette on the bias into about 20 (1/2-inch-thick) slices and place on a baking sheet.
• Using 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, lightly brush each slice. Sprinkle with salt and bake until lightly toasted and crisp, about 8 minutes; let cool.
• Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. When the oil shimmers, gently place 2 to 3 sage leaves at a time into the hot oil until they darken in color and any bubbling subsides.
• Immediately remove the leaves with tongs or a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper-towel-lined plate.
• Repeat with remaining sage leaves; set aside.
• Gently spread 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese on each crostini, top with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of the fig jam, and garnish with a fried sage leaf.

FIGS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over medium heat; add oil. Add onion; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender and dark brown, about 40 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool.
• While the onion is cooling, cut the figs lengthwise into 1/4-inch rounds.
• Layer 1/4 teaspoon goat cheese, 1/4 teaspoon caramelized onions, and 1 or 2 fig slices on each cracker.

THYME AND FIG GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cheese, sour cream, honey and thyme until smooth; stir in figs and almonds. Sprinkle with additional thyme if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers, baguette slices or vegetables.