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♪♪

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[Sharon Profis] Today, we're 
making whipped goat cheese

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with dates and bacon.

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It is a very simple appetizer, 
but it presents

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so beautifully and it's great 
for any winter gathering.

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I have eight ounces of goat 
cheese right here.

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And this is all going 
straight into the blender.

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To the goat cheese, 
I'm going to add about

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six ounces of crème fraîche.

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I'll add two tablespoons 
of olive oil

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and a pinch of salt.

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Let's get this whipped.

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♪♪

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OK, great.

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Our goat cheese is whipped and 
we'll transfer it to the fridge,

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let it chill a little bit, 
and in the meantime,

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we'll make our date and bacon 
topping.

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Let's get started on our date 
and bacon topping.

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I have two slices of pretty 
thick-cut bacon here.

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Bacon and dates,

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for some reason, 
just go together so, so well.

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All right, 
let's get our bacon in the pan.

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While the bacon cooks, 
let's get the rest

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of our ingredients ready.

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I have two small shallots here.

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I'll just give those 
a nice slice.

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I also have three 
sprigs of thyme.

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For this, I'm just going to pull 
the leaves right off

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and give that a nice chop.

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And then, we have 
a quarter cup of pecans.

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I want to chop them here.

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Especially for this dish,

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the pecans will add a really 
nice texture, a nice crunch.

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There are many varieties of 
dates, with Medjool,

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Noor and Deglet dates being some 
of the most popular ones

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you'll see in grocery stores.

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And Deglet dates 
are somewhere in the middle.

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They hold their shape 
really, really nicely,

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which is what makes them 
so great for this recipe.

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Let's give these a nice chop.

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Doesn't have to be perfect.

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By the time this dish is all 
set, a lot of these flavors

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and these ingredients 
will start to meld together.

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Now that our bacon has rendered 
most of its fat,

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I'm going to go ahead 
and add our shallots and cook it

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right with the bacon.

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You want to add the shallots 
when the bacon is about 70%

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done, not all the way done, 
because it will continue cooking

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as we add 
the rest of our ingredients.

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And once the shallots 
have started to

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soften, we can add the rest 
of our ingredients.

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So, in go the pecans

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and our thyme.

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This is when things start 
to smell really good.

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And of course, our dates.

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I'll also add 
the tiniest pinch of salt,

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because bacon is already 
pretty salty,

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and a few cracks of pepper.

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Once the 
pecans are nice and crispy

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and the shallots 
have really softened up,

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add just about a 
teaspoon of honey.

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The dates definitely add 
a lot of sweetness,

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but the honey makes sure

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that everything in here 
gets coated with sweetness.

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The last thing that we want 
to do is balance out

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all that sweetness 
and that richness from the bacon

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with a little splash of red wine 
or sherry vinegar.

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I'll turn off the heat.

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Now, let me show you how to make 
crostini to go with this dish.

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Crostini is the perfect vehicle 
for our spread,

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but it's also a staple 
for any cheese plate,

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charcuterie plate, or dip.

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All you need is a fresh baguette 
and olive oil.

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To get started, preheat 
your oven to 450 degrees.

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Then, slice the baguette 
on a slight diagonal and arrange

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the slices on a baking sheet 
in a single layer.

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The diagonal slices means 
more surface area for toppings.

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Now, slightly brush

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both sides of the bread slices 
with olive oil.

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Transfer 
the baking sheet to the middle

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rack of your oven and bake 
for five to ten minutes,

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or until the crostini is nice 
and golden.

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At this point, 
you can sprinkle the slices

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with a little 
salt or serve them as is.

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Once the 
whipped goat cheese has chilled,

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what I'll do is make a little 
well in the middle.

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And that is where 
we'll add our date

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and bacon topping.

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It smells so good.

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I can smell the smokiness, 
the sweetness.

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Beautiful.

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And so, we have our crostini 
to go with it.

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You grab your crostini,

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grab a nice scoop of that bacon 
and goat cheese,

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and you have yourself 
a beautiful winter appetizer.

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And now, 
all that's left to do is eat!

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♪♪