These Strawberry Bites with Goat Cheese Mousse and Balsamic Glaze are easy to make at home, with simple ingredients, and make a perfect party appetizer.
We’ve been in our new house for just over a month now. Just how long does it actually take to get settled in?
The kitchen is good to go – I can function quite well in there. However, there’s still little things – Like, we don’t have a dining room table yet… I just can’t make up my mind. I’m seriously contemplating this one or this one.
Also, we haven’t quite decided what we want to do with the extra bedroom yet. Should we turn it into a full blown guest bedroom? We don’t have guests too often, so it seems like a bit of a waste of space. Or, should we put a big sleeper sectional in there, and turn it into a cozy second TV room? Undecided…
It’s all these little things that have prevented us from having a housewarming party just quite yet. But, I’ve been working on my appetizer game in preparation (i.e. these Prosciutto, Brie & Honey Crostini and these Bacon Wrapped Dates with Marcona Almonds). To add, to the repertoire, I’m fixing these Strawberry Bites with Goat Cheese Mousse and Balsamic Glaze.The requirement is that these appetizers need to be easy and quick to prepare because I’m thinking that we’ll be hosting on a weeknight.
I’ve made a form of these Strawberry & Goat Cheese bites before, using crostini instead of the crackers. However, I thought, why not skip the step of slicing the bread, brushing it with olive oil, and toasting it in the oven. These buttery Dare Crackers work perfectly for entertaining, and definitely cut out a lot of prep time.
If you’re really cramped for time, go ahead and make that balsamic glaze the night before. It’ll keep for about a week in the fridge. Thick, syrupy, sweet balsamic with just a bit of a hint of acidity. It’s the perfect topping for sweet strawberries and that tangy goat cheese mousse. And yes, you can make goat cheese mouse – It’s simple really, as long as you have a high-speed blender. Whip some heavy cream until it’s light and airy, fold incorporate it in with the goat cheese. What you’ll end up with is a more delicate goat cheese flavor, that won’t overpower the delicious strawberries and the light balsamic glaze.
To make them extra “party-like” I topped ‘em with some edible flowers. I’m a bit obsessed. How pretty are they?! I want to top everything with edible flowers now. Did you know that different flowers have different tastes? Here’s a handy chart showing which ones are edible, and their flavor profiles.
Maybe, with all their beauty, they may just distract our guests enough so that they don’t realize that we’re still missing half our furniture. What do you think? Wait until we’re fully furnished to host a get together, or just make sure to serve lots of delicious bites like these, good wine, and make due with what we have?
Full Recipe
Strawberry Bites with Goat Cheese Mousse and Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients
Balsamic Glaze
- 1 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Goat Cheese Mousse:
- 1 cup heavy cream (separated)
- 10 oz . goat cheese
- Salt & freshly ground pepper (to taste)
For serving:
- Dare Cabaret Crackers
- 1 pint fresh strawberries (sliced)
Instructions
To make the balsamic glaze:
- Combine vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
To make the goat cheese mousse:
- Whip 3/4 cup heavy cream on medium speed with whisk attachment in a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Remove to a separate bowl and let chill in refrigerator.
- Add goat cheese and remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream to stand mixer and switch to paddle attachment. Beat on medium high speed until the goat cheese softens, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to high and mix for 4-5 minutes scraping down sides once during the process. Fold in the whipped cream in four increments and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve:
- Liberally spread goat cheese mousse on cracker. top with strawberries and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Wine Pairings for Strawberries & Goat Cheese:
- Try a dessert wine – A Sauternes would pair wonderfully.
- Go for bubbles – Prosecco, Cava or Champagne would all be a great match. Or, try a Sparkling Rosé!
- Dry Rosé is another great match for these bites. The strawberry flavor will be echoed by the wine.
- Want a non-wine option? Try a dry cider.
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