Goat Cheese, Walnut & Lavender Honey

All hail my favourite snack - Easy, sophisticated, and absolutely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

• Goat Cheese (the soft, spreadable type)
• Melba Toasts or Water Crackers
• Walnuts
• Honey
• Dried Lavender (optional)
• Rosemary (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Just spread your toasts or crackers with goat cheese, top it with a walnut or two, drizzle some honey (I like to infuse mine with lavender or rosemary for that extra something- scroll to the bottom of this post for a how-to*) and voila. In fact, if it's a more casual affair, you can even lay the components out for guests to put together themselves! 

*HONEY INFUSIONS

There are 2 methods to infuse your honey with a little extra flavour- be it rosemary, lavender, or any other herbs that strike your fancy. Dried herbs are preferable to reduce the risk of spore/bacteria growth from the excess water. The general rule-of-thumb ratio is 1-2 tablespoons of herbs per 1 cup (8 ounces) of honey.

Method 1- Cold Infusion: Drop your herbs in the honey jar and let it steep for a week or two, turning the jar upside down and stirring occasionally.

Method 2- Hot Infusion: Best done by simmering the herbs and honey in a double-boiler for 15-20 minutes without bringing it to boil.

In both these cases, you can either encase your herbs in cheesecloth before placing it in the honey, or strain the final product before use.