I developed this a few years ago for a Valentines dinner I was hosting, mostly because I love the color of beets, and wanted to incorporate them into the menu. The flavor and texture pairing, though, has made it one of the favorites among my small appetizer recipes. Crisp, creamy, tangy, earthy, with a little bit of fresh herb and spice - it is quite the journey. I like to use small cookie cutters to get different small shapes.
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Ingredients
● 1 large beet, roasted and slice thin, cut into 1” pieces
● 5 oz goat cheese
● Heavy cream or water (to thin the cheese while whipping)
● ≅ ¼ Cup cherry jalapeño jelly
● 24 small fresh mint leaves
● 24 round whole grain crackers
Preparation
In a medium bowl, whip the goat cheese on medium speed, drizzling in the heavy cream or water until the cheese is smooth and creamy. Fit a pastry bag with a medium star tip, and fill the bag with the cheese.
Pipe a ring of goat cheese onto each cracker (leave enough of an edge so that the cracker can easily be picked up), and arrange on a serving plate. In the center of each ring, place a small dollop of cherry jalapeño jelly, with one mint leaf placed jauntily over the edge of the ring. Place one slice of beet, covering the jelly, but still revealing the mint leaf (the red against the bright green of the mint is eye catching).
Arrange the prepared canapes on a serving platter and serve immediately.
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