Thursday, February 5, 2015

Chocolate and goat cheese pastries {+ a giveaway}

Enjoy these easy yet elegant pastries, filled with dark chocolate and creamy goat cheese, for breakfast, at tea time or as a light dessert.

chocolate and goat cheese pastry

We regularly -- and without question -- pair cheese with wine, right? Similarly, we know how good a glass of red wine and some dark chocolate can taste.

So why is it that we don't often think of pairing cheese and chocolate together?

Clearly we've been missing the boat. In a big way.

In honor of Valentine's Day (which, frankly, is not a big deal around Casa de Ninj) and, perhaps more importantly, the end of Detox January (which I vow will not simply become Retox February), I've created a little treat -- dark chocolate and goat cheese pastries -- that you can enjoy for breakfast, with afternoon tea or as a light dessert.

Or, if you're Mr. Ninj, all three.

Regular readers know I'm a big fan of sweet and savory combinations, like my salted cardamom oatmeal cookies or the holiday favorite bourbon-salted peanut butter chocolate truffles. So when my friends at Vermont Creamery and Lake Champlain Chocolates suggested pairing chocolate and cheese for Valentine's Day, my interest was a little more than piqued.

At first I was a little stumped as to how best to mix the creamy, savory goat cheese with the richer, sweeter chocolate -- other than just snarfing them down separately, of course. I tried to think classier. Which made me realize that both since both cheese and chocolate get melty and even more awesome when warm, why not tuck all that awesomeness inside a pastry?

Booyah.

As with many of my recipes, this one is easy peasy, even though it makes quite an elegant impression. The pastry puffs up like you wouldn't believe, and while the goat cheese and rich chocolate does indeed, as I had hoped, get all melty and awesome in the center, there's not so much of it as to overwhelm the whole pastry effect. It's very less-is-more.

Now, as if cheese and chocolate in this pastry recipe weren't awesome enough, I'm also going to give you a chance to live the sweet and savory dream for yourself.  You see, while I may have moved away from Vermont, I'm still a huge fan of its local products. Compliments of Vermont Creamery and Lake Champlain Chocolates, I'm giving away a cheese and chocolate Valentine's Day package to one of my lucky readers. Talk about a yummy gift!

This Valentine's Day prize package (a $60 value) includes
  • Vermont Creamery Bijou goat cheese (this is what I used in my pastry)
  • Vermont Creamery Bonne Bouche goat cheese
  • Lake Champlain Chocolates Traditional Valentine's Truffle Heart  

Valentine's Day giveaway from Vermont Creamery and Lake Champlain Chocolates

For your chance to win this Valentine's Day prize, simply enter the giveaway following the instructions below the recipe. (Note: The giveaway is open to U.S. residents 18 years of age and older and ends on February 9, 2015 at 12:00 am.)

Are you hip to pairing cheese and chocolate this Valentine's Day? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.

chocolate and goat cheese pastry

Sweet and Savory Chocolate and Goat Cheese Pastries

Makes 8 pastries. Inspired by a Food Network recipe by Giada De Laurentis.

Ingredients:
4 ounces goat cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons sugar
pinch of kosher salt
1 17.3-ounce package puff pastry (2 sheets)
2 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 egg, beaten, for a wash

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the cheese, egg yolk, vanilla, sugar and salt until well blended.

On a lightly floured work surface, unroll the puff pastry and slice each sheet into 8 equal squares. Divide the cheese mixture evenly among the 8 squares, placing a dollop in the center of each square, and top with chopped chocolate (divide all the chocolate evenly among the pastries).

To shape the pastries, fold one corner of the square over the cheese mixture to within half an inch of the opposite corner. Brush the part you just folded over with the egg wash, then fold its opposite corner over it (the dough will now be long and open-ended -- don't fold the remaining two "points" of dough). Brush the whole pastry with egg wash and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing room for the pastry to expand. Repeat procedure with remaining squares.

Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack.


www.yankeekitchenninja.com
-- print recipe --

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: While Vermont Creamery and Lake Champlain Chocolates are providing the prize for this giveaway and have provided me with samples, neither has in any way compensated me for my recipe or my participation in this giveaway. The recipe and all thoughts expressed in this post are my own.

32 comments:

  1. This is incredible, Ninj! I don't think I would have ever thought about pairing goat cheese and chocolate...but as soon as I saw your post, I knew I needed to try it. It sounds amazing! At first, I was like...hmmm...but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like something I need to make. Thanks for sharing! Also, I love me some local Vermont companies. Too bad I'm closer to VT that you are now! :-)

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    1. Yeah, it doesn't seem right at first until you think, awwwwww yeah, I love both of these things!! And I am jealous of how much closer you are to VT now. I'll have to ease my pain with some bourbon. ;-)

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  2. I have NOT paired cheese and chocolate, but I love them both! Dee Fedor Falicki

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    1. Trust me, Dee, you'll love them even more when they get all melty together inside a pastry. :-)

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  3. Something so easy but delectable! I am game and will add to my grocery list. ;-)

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  4. I've had this combination before. It's like a more sophisticated combination of the flavors you find in cheesecake, and it's lovely! I love the idea of using it in a pastry.

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  5. OH MY GOSH yes...Try sprinkling a baked triple creme brie with a sauce made from crushed dark cocoa nibs and sugar. SO GOOD. This sounds amazing, too!

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  6. Yes! Absolutely a perfect combination!

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  7. Love the idea of goat cheese and dark chocolate together! Especially from Vermont Creamery and Lake Champlain Chocolates!

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  8. I am totally ready to combine cheese and chocolate. I think I need to make a chocolate cheesecake right now!

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  9. I've done cream cheese and ricotta cheese with chocolate, but it never occurred to me to go beyond that!

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  10. Absolutely! In fact, my grandmother use to make chocolate cheese when I was young :) Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
    Erin

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  11. Oh yea! My two favorite things - have to consume them together!!

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  12. This combo is new for me, but your pictures and descriptions sound mouth watering!

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  13. Honestly, I've never thought to pair chocolate with cheese, but I do love goat cheese!

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  14. Chocolate and cheese will probably be great!

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  15. Mascarpone or ricotta and chocolate, certainly. Cream cheese, even. I've done cheddars and more with jams.I'm not a fan of honey over cheese, as a rule. I haven't really gone beyond that with cheese & sweets.

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  16. yes i love the two paired together its an amazing taste once it hits your mouth yummy thanks for this chance and thnks for sharing this great recipe....

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  17. I haven't tried that pairing before, but I am open to it!

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  18. Yes, cheese and chocolate go together perfectly. This looks so yummy!!!!!

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  19. Combining the two would be a new experience for me, but when it comes to cheese or chocolate, I am open to just about anything.

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  20. Yes. I love cheese like crazy and chocolate anytime so I would love them together!

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  21. I don't know that I've ever paired cheese with chocolate, but since I like them both I have no problem with it. In fact, I'm pretty excited about the notion.

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  22. I don't know that I've ever paired cheese with chocolate, but since I like them both I have no problem with it. In fact, I'm pretty excited about the notion.

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  23. Yes, I think the right combination would be great.

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  24. I love cheese and I love chocolate, so why not?
    I haven't personally paired them, but I'm down for it!

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  25. Sure....I am willing to try that!

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  26. I'm so not an expert at pairing cheese with anything, so posts like this one help me out. :)

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  27. No, I have not paired the two together - shaunie

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