im not going to fool you into thinking this cute little appetizer is easy to make. simple- yes. time consuming-um yea. sorry. they’re oh so cute though. the tangy goat cheese paired with the sweet juicy grapes and the texture of the crunchy nuts just meld together nicely. I took these grapes to several different parties and happy hours. they hold up well and make a great snack to have with drinks. I usually forget what a pain in the ass they are to make until I decide to take them somewhere and then think to myself “why did I decide to make these?” what’s sad is that they’re not that hard to make. I just lack the patience to make them. kind of like those cute cream cheese stuffed strawberries I see all over pinterest. or cake balls. this coming from an award winning pie baker who makes pie dough from scratch. and once baked 140 pies at thanksgiving. ill save that story for another time. patience for pies- yes. patience for much else- no. im one of those chronically late people because I don’t have the patience to wait for other people.
so these grapes. the last time I made them was for a party with my new coworkers. the grapes were kind of a hit except for 2 of my “picky” but sweet coworkers who couldn’t wait to try them and then politely tried not to spit them out because they realized they hate goat cheese! I actually made them with a soft Havarti cheese before and it worked well since it’s a tangy cheese too.
nutty goat cheese grapes
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup chili lime almonds( I used blue diamond brand), chopped
8-12 ounces creamy goat cheese
40 (approx. depending on size) seedless grapes, red or green, washed and patted dry
scoop about 1/2 tablespoon of goat cheese and press it evenly over all surfaces of grape. roll the grape for a few seconds in the palms of your hands until the coating is smooth and even. roll the grape in either the chopped pistachio or chopped almonds and place it on a large plate. repeat with remaining grapes. cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
recipe adapted from betty rosbottom, author of “sunday soup” and tribune media services
