This whipped goat cheese with cranberry jalapeño jam is the perfect appetizer for this Holiday entertaining season. It tastes amazing, is quick to make, and looks pretty and festive. Plus, it pairs perfectly with this pretty bright cranberry orange gin fizz. It’s the perfect pairing for the Holidays!
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The Perfect Pairing for Holiday Entertaining
It’s officially Holiday entertaining season! That means it’s time for family get-togethers, cocktail parties, friend’s Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and office Holiday celebrations. So much fun! But it also means you need to bring food to a lot of different occasions. Not to worry! Introducing my back pocket appetizer and cocktail pairing for effortless entertaining!
Introducing my whipped goat cheese with cranberry jalapeño jam and cranberry orange gin fizz. The perfect pairing with the classic winter flavors of sweet tart cranberry and bright orange. Oh it sounds sophisticated and boujie. But it’s so simple and easy! Plus, pretty and festive too!
The whipped goat cheese is light and creamy with hints of maple and orange. Then, it’s topped with a sweet and spicy cranberry jalapeño jam. The cranberry orange gin fizz is slightly sweet, a little tart, perfectly bubbly, and balanced and delicious. Together, it’s magic!
Ingredients
The Whipped Goat Cheese with Cranberry Jalapeño Jam
- goat cheese, oh how I love goat cheese. Super creamy, a little sweet, and a little tangy. It is the star of this dish!
- light cream cheese, together with the goat cheese, it creates an ultra-creamy dip!
- maple syrup, adds rich sweetness to balance the tang of the cheese and make this dish super cozy.
- fresh orange juice, adds a bright, citrusy note that works beautifully with the maple flavor anf tangy cheeses.
- olive oil, adds a rich savory note and makes it super creamy.
- pinch salt, just a little helps balance and bring out the flavors.
Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz
- Empress 1908 Gin, hands down my fav gin! It’s all-Natural / 100% Authentic, infused with the vibrantly tinted butterfly pea blossom, which gives it the pretty blue hue, an handcrafted from 8 organic botanicals. It’s balanced and smooth and works perfectly in this cocktail.
- unsweetened cranberry juice, it’s tart and bright, making this cocktail extra delicious. I get unsweetened so I can sweeten it myself (and ensure the cocktail is not cloyingly sweet). Plus, the combo of the Empress 1908 gin and cranberry creates this pretty magenta hue for a show stopping cocktail!
- pure maple syrup, adds rich sweetness that makes it cozy and delicious.
- egg white, I know this sounds weird, but it’s a must. It creates that magical frothy top. But doesn’t add any flavor (so no egg taste in your cocktail!). I recommend buying pasteurized eggs for safe consumption. It vegan, you can also use an ounce of aquafaba.
- fresh orange juice, just a splash adds that beautiful, bright citrusy note that balances the other flavors. Plus cranberry loves her some orange – a classic winter pairing!
- soda water, adds a little sparkle at the end! And we all need some sparkle this time of year!
How to make this app and cocktail?
Both are so so incredibly easy – that’s why this is my back pocket app and cocktail pairing. You can whip it together in no time but looks impressive to guest!
How to make the whipped goat cheese
- Make sure the goat cheese and cream cheese are at room temperature as it will help it blend better.
- Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, fresh orange juice, maple syrup, olive oil, and pinch of salt to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to a serving dish. Top with cranberry jalapeño jam.
- I purchases my jam from a local specialty store. You can find something similar here (or at your local grocery store). Of course, you can make a homemade jam as well!
- This dip also stores great, making it perfect for making ahead. Once the dip is made, transfer it to an air tight container and store in your fridge. When ready to serve, transfer to a serving dish then top with the jam.
How to make this cranberry orange gin fizz
- Grab a shaker.
- To the shaker, add the cold egg white, Empress 1908 gin, unsweetened cranberry juice, maple syrup, and fresh orange juice. Close the shaker.
- First, start with a vigorous dry-shake, one that lasts at least about 15 seconds. This simply means shake without ice. Egg whites are added to cocktails to make them foamy. Cocktail recipe involving egg whites start with a dry shake because dry-shaking ensures that the egg white incorporates with the other ingredients and provides that nice frothy texture.
- Next, add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously again for 15 seconds. I prefer to add one big ice cube instead of a handful of small ice cubes for less dilution (if you have big ice cubes on hand). This helps get the cocktail nice and cold.
- Pour the beverage into a cocktail class. Top with soda water.
- If you want to be super fancy, top with a bruleed orange slice.
- Serve and enjoy!
other festive appetizers and cocktails
- Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Bacon
- Whipped Mascarpone, Fig Jam, and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Bites
- Roast Beef, Herbed Cream Cheese, and Fig Jam Crostini’s
- Pomegranate Aperol Spritz
- Apple Cider Old Fashioned
enjoy!
This whipped goat cheese with cranberry jalapeño jam is the perfect appetizer for this Holiday entertaining season. It’s tastes amazing, is quick to make, and looks pretty and festive. Plus, it pairs perfectly with this pretty bright cranberry orange gin fizz. It’s the perfect pairing for the Holidays!
If you make these perfect pairing, please leave a comment below. I absolutely love to hear from you guys and your thoughts on my recipes. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or pin it on pinterest, cuz sharing is caring!
Whipped Goat Cheese + Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz
A pretty and festive pairing perfect for Holiday entertaining!
Ingredients
Whipped Goat Cheese
- 4 oz light cream cheese room temp.
- 8 oz plain goat cheese room temp
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Juice of half a naval orange
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt
For serving,
- ¼ cup store bought cranberry jalapeno jam or any store bought cranberry jam
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- Whole wheat crostini’s for serving
Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz
- 2-3 oz Empress Gin 4-6 tablespoons
- 1 ½ oz unsweetened cranberry juice 3 tablespoons
- ½ oz fresh squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon
- ½ oz maple syrup 1 tablespoon
- 1 cold egg white
- Top with soda water
Instructions
Whipped Goat Cheese
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For the dip, in a food processor, blend all of the whipped goat cheese ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with cranberry jalepeno jam and olive oil. Serve with crostinis. Enjoy!
Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz
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For the cocktail, add gin, cranberry juice, orange juice, maple syrup, and egg white to a cocktail shaker topped with lid and shake vigorously without ice. Add ice and shake again until cold and frothy.
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Pour the cocktail into a glass. Top with desired amount of sparkling water. Top with a caramelized orange slice, if desired. Enjoy
