Here, have a goat cheese stuffed fig! Now that you're munching on something, I'm bursting at the seams in excitement over the news I've got - I can't contain myself. (No Mom, we're not pregnant). Snixy Kitchen is getting a remodel! A digital remodel. A make-over. A complete overhaul redesign with a custom theme built by yours truly. If you've been around since the beginning (Hi again, Mom), you may recall that my loving husband (then boyfriend) created the original theme you see today, but the one that's getting wrapped up in a pretty bow and coming your way very soon? I'm doing it myself.
Without knowing a lick of html, css, php, or javascript before embarking, I'm pulling from online classes, my awesome friends, and every online forum I can find to teach myself how to build the custom theme I want. And it's taking a serious chunk of my free time. All, actually - exactly all of it. So that's my epic excuse for why it's been so quiet around here. But you're going to shove another one of these goat cheese and pancetta stuffed figs with pine nuts and honey in your mouth and it's going to get loud again. Lots of OMGs, Mmmms, and Ahhhs, followed by "is anyone going to eat the last one? [pause 1 second for courtesy] no? Okay then, I'm eating it."
That's precisely what Spike said after popping about a dozen of these in his mouth at my birthday pig roast potluck back in March. Yeah, I know, MARCH. Here's the thing, things turned out a little less well than we'd hoped on the pig front. Namely, the pig did not cook in the ground as expected. Awkward. I'll tell you more details about the pig when I share the recipe for what I (finally) did with the leftovers last weekend. You know what wasn't a bust at the pig roast? My gluten-free carrot cupcakes and these little fig bites.
Goat cheese stuffed figs topped with pine nuts, pancetta, and a drizzle of local honey. I can't even talk about them without getting hungry. The only failure in this recipe was the failure to make more than one per person. Especially after you subtract out how many Spike ate as I moved the plate from the kitchen to the appetizer table on the back deck. You know when you're at an event where there are waiters walking around with little snacks? There's always one where you're like "woah, hold up" and then stack just as many as you can on your little cocktail napkin without looking like a savage.
That's the feeling I get when I eat one of these fig bites. I always contemplate whether it would it be appropriate to eat the entire platter before the guests arrive. No one would ever know, right? These goat cheese stuffed figs are all at once salty, sweet, savory, creamy, and crunchy. You probably should double the recipe because somehow, once they're plated, you'll find yourself with half as many as you set out to make. There's a serious lack of self-control in this house. This is the same reason I baked only half of the dough for Lucas's birthday cookies last night; if there are 2 dozen cookies in the house, we'll eat 2 for breakfast, 3 for lunch, and 4 for dinner, plus more for snacks and dessert. Gone in one day.
If you've got access to some fresh, ripe figs, feel free to swap them in place of the dried figs - you can't go wrong either way!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 18 dried figs, sliced in half
- 3 ounces creamy goat cheese, I like to use Laura Chenel's spreadable goat cheese
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 4 slices of pancetta or bacon, cooked until crispy
- 1-2 tablespoons of honey, for drizzling
INSTRUCTIONS
- Top the cut side of each fig with ½ teaspoon of goat cheese.
- Press 2-3 pine nuts into the goat cheese of each fig.
- Break or cut the pancetta into 1-inch long pieces and press one piece into the goat cheese of each fig.
- Line the figs up on a serving platter, drizzle honey over the top of the figs, and serve. (Or eat 5 yourself, then serve;)
Rebecca Blackwell -
Every single thing about this recipe looks fantastic. A salty sweet dream. We are having a little dinner party in a couple of days and these just got added to the menu. Thank you for sharing!
Jessica M -
This sounds AMAZING! I am definitely marking this for my next party! Also I am SO impressed that you designed this theme yourself! I've tried so many times and failed... good for you, this blog looks beautiful =)
xo
http://www.threadandbones.com
Sarah Menanix -
Do it - it's so easy and always a hit. And thank you so much - it means so much to me to hear you say that after how many hours I put into it:)
Kelly @ A Side of Sweet -
I am literally salivating right now. How soon can we set up a party so you have to make these again! :)
ATasteOfMadness -
This looks fantastic!! I have only just started liking goat cheese, so this is perfect timing for me
Sarah Menanix -
Oh boy - now you get to try things like baked goat cheese and goat cheese ice cream! You're in for a treat:)
alyssa -
That is a perfect bite!
Sarah Menanix -
...or 15. I can't stop at just one bite:) Hehe. Thank you!
Katie | lovely letters -
Oh my word... I'm drooling.
And am SO impressed that you are designing your own theme! I've recently been buying books to brush up on coding and am hoping to delve deeper into the behind the scenes of my own site :)
xx Katie
lovely letters
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks! You should do it; I'm having so much fun finally figuring out that I have control over what I want it to look like (but o man, it's a lot to learn!). Sounds like you already have some experience though?? :)
lisaiscooking -
Good luck with your redesign! Can't wait to see it. Goat cheese and figs sounds like a perfect match. Fresh figs will be at our farmers' market soon.
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you - I sure need it! Definitely a labor of love.
Yum - we've got some figs showing up at the market right now and I'm really excited about it! I remember picking the unripe ones from the tree as a kid because we loved the way they oozed white sap when picked (in retrospect, probably shouldn't have been ripping the unripe fruit from the tree, eh?)
Chris @ Shared Appetite -
These look like an amazing summer app! And I love me summer apps.... totally pinning so I remember to make them. And how exciting about the redesign! I'm super impressed that you are doing it all on your own. Major props!!!
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks! I'm super excited about it, but also really nervous. Just a few more finishing touches... :)
Lalanashea -
Did u use raw pine nuts or roasted?
Sarah Menanix -
I just used raw pine nuts, although I think roasted pine nuts would be yummy too - I was just being too lazy! :)
Veronica -
Oh My, I can not blame Spike for eating the last one! That would be me!
Sarah Menanix -
Ha - it took a lot of restraint not to eat them all. I had to cover them in plastic before people got there!
Tina -
I want to eat so many of those. Immediately.
Sarah Menanix -
Right? When your mail order figs arrive, you should just make a batch and eat them all yourself.