In France, entertaining at home almost always includes a variety of cheeses. Sometimes, the cheeses are displayed in wedges, other times, the cheeses are decorated in dried fruit and nuts, like this cranberry cheese log.
You can find the cheeses already decorated as such in some French markets, which is where I got the inspiration for this cranberry cheese log I’m sharing with you today.
I chose to decorate my cheese log with dried cranberries because they’re one of my favorite ingredients to use during the holiday season.
Whenever fall rolls around, I stock up on dried cranberries, and use them to add delicious flavor to my salads, oatmeal, baked goods, and party appetizers. They make all the difference, and you can definitely see that with a simple, yet irresistible recipe like this cranberry cheese log.
If you’ve tried these cranberries before, then you’ll know what I mean when I say they’re both sweet and slightly tart, and perfectly plump with just the right amount of chewy.
The cheese that I chose to roll my dried cranberries in was a honey-laced chèvre, but you can easily use plain chèvre or another soft cheese. If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, cream cheese would work just as well.
If you’re using cream cheese, you’ll want to let it soften a bit on the counter so that you can place the block on a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap, and roll the block into a log shape. Then you can refrigerate it again to help it solidify for clean slices when serving.
Whatever cheese you use, it’s nice to sprinkle a little bit of ground cinnamon onto the cheese before you roll it into a plate of dried cranberries. That’s literally all! It’s such an easy, yet festive plate to prepare for guests this holiday season.
I love this cranberry cheese log so much that I’ll sometimes just make one to store in the fridge for snacking throughout the week!
Cranberry Cheese Log
Goat cheese rolled into dried cranberries for a delicious appetizer.
Ingredients
- 8 oz log of goat cheese/chèvre
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Craisins® Dried Cranberries
- Crackers, to serve with
Instructions
- Unwrap the cheese log and sprinkle a small pinch of ground cinnamon over each "side" of the cheese log - about 1 tsp total of ground cinnamon.
- If the cheese log is really cold, allow it to slightly warm so that it's stickier. This will make it easier to stick the dried cranberries on. Pour a large handful of dried cranberries onto your work surface and roll the cheese log into the dried cranberries. Now, grab a few dried cranberries at a time, and gently press them into the gaps on the cheese log, applying enough pressure to get them to stick.
- If you're serving your cheese log immediately, place it on your serving plate with crackers. Otherwise, wrap the cheese log in wax paper like a tootsie roll, twisting the ends of the wax paper. Refrigerate the cheese until ready to serve.
Notes
To use cream cheese instead: Place an 8 oz. block of room temperature cream cheese onto a sheet of wax paper. Wrap the cheese in the wax paper, and use your hands to mold the cheese into a cylinder. Roll the cheese back and forth like you would a rolling pin to smooth out the log. Wrap the cheese in plastic wrap until it's cool and firm to the touch - about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 180
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Looking forward to trying this! I love your recipes and your beautiful website.
Thank you so much, Ann! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your kind comment and I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
I add some chopped pistachios to the cranberries to add a little crunch to the sweet and salty. Christmas colors too!
This turned up in my search today after my Heart Goat Cheese Cranberry lunch(Valentine’s Special). It was premade of course that I picked up at the grocery store and had at home but I was thinking it would be easy to make my own or have cranberries on the side simply as another option.
Hi Laura! Yes, this is so simple to do at home. 🙂 I like making these cheese logs at home because sometimes the ones in the grocery store can get a big mushy due to the way they’re packaged.
Cranberries are such a sweet addition to this snack, I love the idea!!
Thank you, Eden! It really does compliment the cheese very well 🙂
Cranberries, mmmm this sounds better than nuts
Thanx so much
Thank you! They’re so much better than nuts :p
J’adore le fromage à l’apéro et même au dessert. Tu as raison, ici c’est tout le temps. J’aime beaucoup ta petite recette !
Merci, Eva <3 J'adore que le Francais mange le fromage au dessert! :p
Dried cranberries are one of my favorite snacks during the fall and winter. And I happen to LOVE me some goat cheese! So this log is just perfection if you ask me! And kind of dangerous, because I could totally eat this by myself if about .34 seconds flat! So perfect for holiday entertaining! Cheers, Beeta! <3
Thanks, Cheyanne! I’m glad you feel the same way! 😉