Toasted Pecan Goat Cheese Balls Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in upper third.
• Toss pecans with butter, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then toast in a 4-sided sheet pan until fragrant and a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool completely.
• Pulse pecans in a food processor just until finely chopped, then transfer to a wide shallow bowl.
• Stir together goat cheese, rosemary, coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until combined well. Form teaspoons of cheese mixture into marbles between your palms, then roll in pecans to coat and roll between your palms again briefly. Transfer to a plate.
• Put a parsley leaf under each cheese marble and spear together with a wooden pick.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts onto a cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until the nuts begin to brown and become aromatic. Remove from oven and let cool. Coarsely chop ¼ cup of pecans; set aside. Finely chop the remaining 1¼ cups of pecans and mix with ¼ cup of chopped parsley in a medium bowl; set aside. Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap.
• Make the cheese mix: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, garlic and fines herbs cheese, goat cheese, salt and hot sauce until smooth. Mix in the remaining ¼ cup parsley, the scallions, pimento peppers and the coarsely chopped pecans. Use a tablespoon measure to transfer tablespoons of the cheese mixture to the prepared cookie sheet to make about 30 mounds. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet from the refrigerator and roll the mounds into balls. Coat the balls with the reserved pecan and parsley mixture.
• Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with crackers, crudités or grilled bread, if desired.

Steps:

• Roll goat cheese into 1-inch balls and set aside
• Toast your pecans in a frying pan on med-low heat with 1 tsp of butter and the cinnamon and nutmeg for a few minutes stirring frequently to avoid scorching your pecans
• Let pecan mixture cool
• Roll your goat cheese balls in the pecans to cover/coat completely
• Put each covered goat cheese ball in a mini muffin tray and bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve the warmed goat cheese balls over a fresh bed of greens with thinly sliced pears or peaches if desired. A vinegrette dressing of your choice works well with this salad! This also makes a wonderful appetizer served with apricot or peach preserves and bread at your wine tasting party!