In my perfect world, I would only eat appetizers and dessert in a restaurant. I usually find the appetizer menu to be more interesting and really, I am thinking ahead to dessert. Why eat a heavy meal if all I really want is the lemon dessert on the dessert menu? I like appetizers at home too. I really like to have a night where my husband and I open a bottle of wine and have a few appetizers instead of a real dinner. We will sit on the couch and watch a movie and it almost feels like a date even though our children are usually asleep in the next room.
I like appetizers like this in my arsenal because I usually have everything that I need for it on hand. I also love the combination of sweet and savory and these could honestly be served for dessert with a nice glass of port. This appetizer makes me want to pretend that I am sitting in a vineyard in Provence somewhere. The earthy flavor of the walnuts, the rich cheese, the gorgeous honey and the herbes de Provence. I love herbes de Provence and have been able to find it everywhere lately. It is an herb blend usually with thyme, fennel, and marjoram. Every one that I have ever bought has been a little bit different. I fell in love with it making this turkey a few Thanksgivings ago.
I found this recipe in the magazine that they give away at Raley’s. It calls for goat cheese instead of cream cheese, but I am not a fan of goat cheese. But if you are, by all means, use that instead.
2 cup walnuts chopped
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup chopped dried apples
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon ground corriander
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
8 ounces room temperature cream cheese
1 loaf of baguette
I think that it is easier to start with the softened cream cheese and get the herbs and liquids mixed in first. So that is what I did.
Add the walnuts.
Mix it all together. Taste to make sure that it is seasoned properly.
Slice the bread and spread some of the mixture on each piece. Put the crostini under the broiler for about 2 minutes. You just want to warm the bread and cheese.
The bread will be crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The cheese will be warm and gooey.
I like to garnish with a little sprinkling of herbes de Provence. Look how beautiful those flecks of lavender are.
Pour yourself a glass of wine and Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 cup walnuts chopped
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup chopped dried apples
- 2 Tablespoons orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- 1 teaspoon ground corriander
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese
- 1 loaf of baguette
Instructions
- I think that it is easier to start with the softened cream cheese and get the herbs and liquids mixed in first.
- Add the walnuts.
- Mix it all together. Taste to make sure that it is seasoned properly.
- Slice the bread and spread some of the mixture on each piece. Put the crostini under the broiler for about 2 minutes. You just want to warm the bread and cheese.
- The bread will be crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The cheese will be warm and gooey.
- I like to garnish with a little sprinkling of herbes de Provence.
I am Bree. I love to cook. Even more than I love to take pictures.
I could go for just appetizers and desserts too! Yum! These look really delish… think I will have to try these! =}
I love this appetizer. It is really pretty too with the flecks of lavender. Not to mention easy.
I like having appetizers for dinner or lunch too. Feels like a party!
it does, doesn’t it? you feel like you are doing something special.
i’ve decided that if i have a giant wedding reception, the only thing being served are appetizers/small plates and desserts. no one ever saves room enough for the giant (and often disappointing) entree! this looks wonderful, and gets me in the mood for apple season!
so true. wedding food is usually really bad.
I couldn’t agree with you more! I love the appetizer and dessert menus the most, too! Why is it that these two categories host the most calories!!! Not fair!
seriously! If only we could figure out a way to make that untrue….
Ryan and I are good friends with another couple with whom we frequently have dinners at our homes that only consist of appetizers and desserts. We just fill the table with platters of the two—more appetizers than desserts to be good ha–but it’s some of our favorite meals! I can’t wait to make this one next time around!
can I come? sounds like my kind of party.
I love appetizers and dessert! I am making this now for a party tonight and mine is much, much thinner than yours in the photos. We’ll have to see how this works …
Hope that you liked it and it worked out okay.
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This sounds perfect for a barbecue we have coming up this weekend; we all just love appetisers or ‘nibbles’ as we say over here in Australia….I have just discovered your website and love it! Thanks for the inspiration; I was having a less-than-perfect day and I feel so much better after visiting your site! Don’t you love what food can do for the soul? I can see that I will be returning again and again to try all of your delicious-looking recipes….thanks again!
Welcome! I am glad that you found me. And I am glad that your day turned around.
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I was looking at your recipe. I doesn’t say when to add in the apples,did you chop them up?
You just mix it up. The apples were already chopped.
Made this last night to bring to a holiday gathering. It was super easy to make and I loved that I could make the cheese spread in advance. The only thing I would change next time I make it (and there WILL be a next time!) is that I would use only 1 tablespoon of orange zest instead of 2 tablespoons. The orange overwhelmed the recipe a bit and I would like to see the flavor profiles of the apples and walnuts be more dominant. Overall though, a delicious appetizer and many of my friends even asked for the recipe.
Thanks for the feedback!