Apple Cinnamon Goat Cheese
This time of year
is one of my favorite times to shop at Trader Joe's. They start selling apple and pumpkin versions of literally everything and my heart does a happy dance whenever I go grocery shopping. Dave has decided it's best if I’m always accompanied by him on grocery shopping excursions during this season because I run around filling the cart with fall goodies (pumpkin chai, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin flavored cookie butter, pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, you know, basically all the fall healthy eats! Ha!) while he's over in the corner like "Hi. Hello. We need milk and eggs!" (Ummmmm, what?! You mean, you can’t survive on pumpkin cookies and apple donuts alone?! Wow. Who knew?!). Needless to say, me shopping alone used to leave us in interesting predicaments come dinner time (Would you like some pumpkin butter with your pumpkin cream cheese and pumpkin cookie butter topped pumpkin bread pudding with a side of pumpkin caramels and a baked apple on top?).
But, of course, no matter how much I love some good ol' TJ's products, nothing beats homemade. So, in an effort to recreate one of my favorite fall food things from Trader Joe’s, I bought goat cheese (yes, from Trader Joe's…duh!), diced some apples, tossed them with some cinnamon (and a few other things) and recreated the apple cinnamon goat cheese log. I’m gonna go ahead and tell you now, you can go right on ahead and file this under “easy recipes for fall” because truly, it could not be simpler to make. It only requires a handful of ingredients and few minutes to make. No mixer, no pots or pans, no need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees or turn on a burner, nothing fancy. Just some goat cheese, apples and seasonings. And, tbh, while I’ve never done, this would probably also work well with cream cheese in place of the goat cheese, for more of a apple cinnamon cheesecake type of vibe. However, for me, personally, I love using goat cheese, as non-cow dairy is a bit easier to digest and it also has much less saturated fat than cream cheese. And while this copycat recipe is just a tad messy to make, it’s 1000% worth it because it'll make your tastebuds burst with fall happiness. Serve it as a snack, eat it as an appetizer, get adventurous and slather it on some pancakes, heck, just spoon it straight into your mouth. Basically, I don't care how you eat it, just eat it. I promise you won't regret it.
Apple Cinnamon Goat Cheese Recipe
INGREDIENTS
One 8-ounce goat cheese log (I get mine at Trader Joe’s)
2 small or 1 large apple, diced into very small cubes
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons granulated or brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
Crackers for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the goat cheese from its packaging and allow to sit out at room temperature while you make the apple topping.
In a medium bowl, mix together the apples, lemon juice, sugar and spices. Stir until everything is well combined and the apple cubes are all well coated with seasoning. Allow to rest for a few minutes (about 10 minutes) so that the juices can fully come together, then give it one last stir before assembling the goat cheese.
Before making the log, ensure that all jewelry is removed, sleeves rolled up and hands cleaned, as this step is a bit messy. Then, place the goat cheese on a large cutting board or plate, spoon on (or just dig in with your hands) a few apples and, using your hands, begin gently pressing them into the cheese. Continue on in this manner, pressing the apples all the way around the goat cheese log, until you've used up all of the fruit and the log is completely covered. Place on a plate and serve with crackers.
Leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
NOTES
For an additional crunch, try adding chopped nuts (about 2-4 tablespoons) to the apple mixture before pressing it into the goat cheese.
For an "adults only" version, replace the lemon juice with about 2 teaspoons of brandy.