Entertaining
The Sweetest Thanksgiving Cheese Board You Ever Did See
- Prep time 15 minutes
- Serves 6-8
Author Notes
A typical Thanksgiving meal is full of the classic savory dishes: a juicy turkey straight out of the oven, creamy mashed potatoes, a herbaceous stuffing, fluffy rolls; the list goes on. I find it difficult at times to curate the best appetizer for Thanksgiving that doesn’t overwhelm taste buds or appetites before the big meal. Though I love charcuterie boards as appetizers for Thanksgiving, the salty and fatty meats and briny accompaniments have very similar flavor profiles to the main meal itself. So, I wanted to create something that offered a vivid contrast for the guests, which may involve leaving the typical cheese pairing comfort zone.
This year, I decided to switch it up with a sweet cheese plate as an appetizer. This offers guests some creamy, chocolatey, and juicy flavors to munch on before (or after) the entrées. Before you write off the idea of cheese and chocolate, give it a try! A 75 percent dark chocolate, for example, has a complex profile of bitter and earthy-tasting notes and isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. Some of my favorite pairings on this plate include the cocoa dusted cashews with the creamy french brie, dark chocolate almond bark with a nutty comté, and gingersnap cookies with the maple cinnamon cream cheese dip. I also added in some juicy and naturally sweet fruit, like gala apples, raspberries, and blackberries.
For a fun autumnal detail, slice your brie in half and use a leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut the top into a funky shape! You can fill in the leaf cut-out with fig and apricot jams for a swirly, colorful foliage look. —Marissa Mullen
Ingredients
- Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese
-
1 cup
cream cheese; room temperature
-
1/4 cup
maple syrup
-
1/2 tablespoon
whole milk
-
3 tablespoons
pumpkin pie seasoning
- Cheese Board
-
1
6-ounce wheel French brie
-
1
6-ounce wedge Comté
-
5 ounces
maple cinnamon cream cheese (see above)
-
5 ounces
raspberries
-
5 ounces
blackberries
-
1
Gala apple, cored and sliced thin
-
4 ounces
cocoa-dusted cashews
-
4 ounces
dark chocolate bark with almonds
-
3 ounces
spiced pecans
-
1 packet
gingersnap cookies
-
3 ounces
pumpkin butter, homemade or store-bought
-
3 ounces
apple butter
-
1 handful
rosemary sprigs
-
1 handful
pomegranate seeds
-
1 bunch
sage
Directions
- To make the maple cinnamon cream cheese, in a food processor, combine the cream cheese, maple syrup, milk and pumpkin spice seasoning until smooth.
- Select a board, one 3-ounce ramekin, and one-5 ounce bowl. Place the ramekin and bowl on opposite ends of the board. Arrange the two cheeses opposite each other on the board and fill the 5-ounce bowl with the maple cinnamon cream cheese dip. Fill the 3-ounce ramekin with apple butter.
- With a soft cheese knife, cut the brie directly in half lengthwise, 1 inch from the top. Then, with a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut a leaf shape into the top of the brie. On the other half of the brie, add a thin layer of apricot and fig jam and cover with the leaf from the cut-out brie half.
- Create piles of raspberries, blackberries and place apple slices in stacks throughout. Do not fill all of the space on the board. Fill empty gaps with chocolate, cocoa dusted almonds, gingersnaps and spiced pecans. Serve additional crackers on the side. Garnish the board with pomegranate seeds and herbs.
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