Honeyed Cheese Bread

Toast or grill thinly sliced bread and top it with whipped goat cheese. Drizzle over your favourite honey and garnish with fresh thyme leaves and berries. Honeyed Cheese Bread is sweet and salty and is completely irresistible. The creaminess of the cheese and honey is a great match for the chewiness of the toasted baguette.

Do you remember that viral TikTok food trend that was everywhere last fall? It was the butter board. Well, I thought it was a great idea and I jumped on the bandwagon with my version, which I called a Butter Board Wreath! I cannot tell you how many mean comments that post racked up. So many thought it was a bad idea because it was not particularly healthy and it encouraged double dipping. So today, I’m taking some of that feedback and reinventing the craze with this Honeyed Cheese Bread.

Let’s back up a bit. In essence, a butter board is a layered appetizer where softened butter is generously spread on a board or plate and topped with various items to enhance the flavour and texture of the butter. Depending on the flavour profile you prefer, toppings can include roasted garlic, shaved red onion, chopped toasted nuts, flaked sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a good drizzle of honey. Doesn’t that sound delicious?

In today’s recipe, I took out the butter component. Even though we enjoyed it, I did think that the creaminess and saltiness of the cheese were missing from the Butter Board. Sticking with the same grilled baguette idea, I’m also keeping the honey and fresh thyme leaves. I’ve switched out the butter with goat cheese though. If you take a look back at the original post from last Christmas, you’ll note that I added pomegranate seeds. You can add those or skip them.

I’m going to tell you all about this appetizer and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re just kicking off the holiday season, but I have a lot of Christmas-themed recipes to share with you this year, so I’ve got to get started early. So, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for this recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 CHRISTMAS APPETIZERS SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the second of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! I’m calling this one Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Appetizers. This series will focus on easy-to-make appetizers that are both delicious and festive.

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Most of them will require some baking, but they won’t be so complex that you can’t whip them up just before your guests arrive. Some are just assembly-type recipes, while others can be prepared in advance.

Just like every other holiday series that I’ve shared over the years, this series will see a new recipe shared every day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday appetizers year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Appetizers series! Even though this is the second series for this holiday season, you can always take a look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Some of my favourites from previous years are my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas, my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Baguette – A baguette sliced 1/2 of an inch thick and grilled on both sides is perfect! You can toast instead of grill, and sourdough is a great alternative.
• Goat Cheese – There are so many varieties with flavours already in them – do not buy those for this recipe. Buy plain, soft, unripened goat cheese like this.
• Cream – Sometimes called whipping cream or heavy cream, this high-fat content dairy product is often used for dessert toppings, ice creams, and even some cakes and cookies.  Look for a cream with 35 – 38% fat content.
• Honey – Use your favourite honey here, because it’s essentially all about how you want this appetizer to taste. If you prefer, you could use chunks of real honeycomb too.
• Berries – You can use fresh raspberries or blackberries which are easily found in colder months too. I photographed these in July, so I used red currants because that’s what I had on hand and I think it looks very festive!
• Fresh Herbs – In my case, I used fresh thyme leaves. I love the lemon thyme with honey! You can also use summer savoury!
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper

HOW TO MAKE HONEYED CHEESE BREAD

Slice the baguette 1/3 of an inch thick and toast or grill until slightly browned and crispy. Transfer to a serving plate and set aside. Beat the goat cheese with the cream, salt, and half of the ground black pepper until well combined.

Smear the goat cheese mixture evenly over the grilled baguette. Top each slice with a good drizzle of honey. Sprinkle over the fresh thyme leaves and the remaining ground black pepper. Top with fresh berries and even more honey if desired. Serve at room temperature.

GOAT CHEESE

Goat cheese is one of my favourite cheeses. It’s so creamy and smooth, and completely flexible in terms of food prep. Goat cheese can be sweetened, made to taste savoury, and adds so much depth to a pasta dish. It’s a great vessel for carrying a stronger flavour and it really does blend well with more dominant ingredients.

Goat cheese, or chevre, is a cheese that is made from goat’s milk. It is made in a wide variety of styles, from soft fresh cheese to hard-aged cheese. You may have noticed that in comparison to cheese made with cow’s milk, goat cheese is slightly tart. That’s because cow’s milk and goat’s milk have similar overall fat contents, but goat’s milk is here in fatty acids. It also has a lower lactose content than cow’s milk.

Goat cheese has been made for thousands of years and dates back to Ancient Greece around 5,000 B.C. In the simplest form, goat cheese is made by allowing raw milk to naturally curdle and then draining and pressing the curds. Other techniques use an acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice) or rennet to coagulate the milk. Soft goat cheeses are made in kitchens worldwide, with cooks hanging bundles of cheesecloth filled with curds in the warm kitchen for several days to drain and cure. If the cheese is to be aged, it is often brined so it will form a rind, and then stored in a cool cheese cave for several months to cure.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!