Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing
#11
  Re: (...)
Harbinger's winery, my favorite winery to work with has a long list of desserts I'm willing to make for them, but yesterday I took four out for all of us to test with different wines. The dessert will be served with their Cranberry Bliss that they just bottled.

Aside, the rest of the dinner will be chilli (made my one of the Winery guys) and I'm making my favorite cornbread (my friend Bill Burr's recipe) and also the dessert.

This is what I took yesterday -

Vicci's Chocolate Gingerbread cake with two sauces for garnish:
Caramel Sauce and Cider Sauce

(Loved the cider sauce with the cake - some of the others preferred the caramel)

Also took Lepkuchen and Cookie Biscotti Sticks - both were well received and went well with the wine, but this was the winner -

Fig & Goat Cheese Squares
[Image: figCreamcheese.jpg]
Smucker Foods of Canada Co. picture

* Exported from MasterCook *

Fig & Goat Cheese Squares - Makes 30

2 cups Blue Ribbon® Orchard Choice® Mission or Calimyrna California Figs
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1 1/3 cups Robin Hood® Nutri™ Flour Blend (I used all-purpose)
1/2 cup brown sugar -- packed
1/2 tsp Windsor® Kosher salt
1/2 cup butter -- chilled & cut into small pieces
2 cups goat cheese -- room temperature
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease or line a 9” x 13” (3 L) baking dish with parchment paper.

2. Combine figs, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until figs are tender. Cool slightly.

3. Place fig mixture in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Stir in chopped walnuts. Reserve.

4. Combine flour, brown sugar and salt in bowl. Stir to combine. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture in prepared baking dish.

5. Gently spread fig mixture over prepared crust.

6. Beat goat cheese and eggs until smooth. Spread over fig mixture.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Smucker Foods of Canada Co. August 08, 2008

Note:
1. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh rosemary to goat cheese mixture. This makes a great hors d’oeuvre.

2. For a sweeter taste, beat ½ cup (125 mL) sugar and 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla into the goat cheese mixture.

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Since I wanted it for a dessert, I added the 1/2 cup sugar to the cheese mixture. These things are delicious!!! I also took three honeys to drizzle over the sqaures at service -
Creme de Balsamic w/honey
ground ginger w/honey
cognac w/honey

Hands down the Balsamic honey drizzled was everyone's favorite - (1/4 cup honey mixed with 1 tsp. crema de balsamic)

What's so neat about this recipe is it can be an appetizer or a dessert!

P.S. The discrepancy in the name comes from Sara (the winemaker) carrying chevre in her refrigerated display case and wanting to promote it..... So, forever more these will be "Chevre & Fig Squares," I guess.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#12
  Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by cjs (Harbinger's winery, ...)
Oh Jean those are beautiful! Sounds like things are going well at Harbinger.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#13
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by Harborwitch (Oh Jean those are be...)
Those sound wonderful! William is going to love this. Copied and saved for next weekend. I'll use the excuse that I can take them to Mom's for Thanksgiving as an excuse...LOL!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#14
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by Gourmet_Mom (Those sound wonderfu...)
Sounds delicious, Jean, and I love that you used the balsamic cream in the honey! I'll have to try that one. I'm wondering if the dessert would be sweet enough without the extra 1/2 cup sugar, if I was going to make the honey drizzle?
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#15
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by Mare749 (Sounds delicious, Je...)
Hmmm, the drizzle is so little, I think you'd probably need (or want) it if serving for a dessert.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#16
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by cjs (Hmmm, the drizzle is...)
Oh, okay. Guess I was thinking that with sugar in the crust, the sweetness of the figs, and a drizzle of honey, that the cheese would be a nice contrast without the sugar. But since you are the one who made this, I'll take your word for it. For some reason, I don't like overly sweet desserts anymore. Must have stuffed enough of them in my mouth last winter!
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#17
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by Mare749 (Oh, okay. Guess I w...)
While it really is not a sweet dessert, you might (if you try it) start with 1/4 cup of sugar to add to the cheese and egg. It really does need a little or it's a little too savory.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#18
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by cjs (While it really is n...)
This is right up our alley. Thanks, Jean. I really like the combination of figs and goat cheese. We do an app of goat cheese mousse topped with a fig and olive tapenade.
Practice safe lunch. Use a condiment.
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#19
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by Lorraine (This is right up our...)
This looks like a really great appetizer! How far ahead do you think they could be made?
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#20
  Re: Re: Fig & Chevre Squares - Winery Testing by HomeCulinarian (This looks like a re...)
Well, I made them the day before the testing and they were great. It says not suitable for freezing, but I had some leftover and froze it - couldn't see anything wrong with the pieces.

I'll be doing them the day before for the dinner at the winery.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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