Jalapeno Corn Cakes with Honey Whipped Goat Cheese and Bacon

Jalapeno Corn Cakes with Honey Whipped Goat Cheese and Bacon
yield: 24 TO 30 APPETIZERS
ingredients:

For the jalapeno corn cakes:
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1/4 c. honey
2 T. dried jalapeno flakes
for the honey whipped goat cheese:
8 oz. goat cheese, at room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 T. honey
1 T. half and half
to finish the jalapeno corn cakes with honey whipped goat cheese and bacon:
approximately 1/2 lb. thick-cut double-smoked bacon
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced into thin circles, and then halved into semi-circles
cinnamon

Preparation:

For the jalapeno corn cakes:

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Using a rigid pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in honey with a fork. Then sprinkle dried jalapeno flakes over the mixture and knead it in the bowl until it begins to cling together and form a dough. Gently fold dough 4 to 5 times, until it holds together. Form dough into a slightly flattened disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°. Divide chilled dough in half and form each into a slightly flattened disk. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough half to 1/4” thick. Cut into circles with a 2” round cutter. Place 1” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Reroll as needed. Then roll out the second half of the dough and repeat.

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until edges are firm and tops are lightly golden brown. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

For the honey whipped goat cheese:

With an electric mixer, whip goat cheese and cream cheese in a medium bowl on high speed. Once incorporated, add the honey and half and half, and then whip for a minute or two, until smooth and fluffy. Place mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Place in refrigerator until ready to assemble the corn cake appetizers.

To finish the jalapeno corn cakes with honey whipped goat cheese and bacon:

In a skillet over medium to medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp, yet slightly chewy. Remove bacon from skillet to a paper towel lined plate. Once cooled, cut bacon strips into pieces almost 1-1/2″ long.

Using the pastry bag and pastry tip, place a swirl of the honey whipped goat cheese onto each of the jalapeno corn cakes. If you don’t have a pastry bag and pastry tip, simply use a small spoon to place a dollop of honey whipped goat cheese onto the jalapeno corn cakes – just make sure that the center of the dollop is tall enough to support the bacon and fresh jalapeno slice. Or place the honey whipped goat cheese in a ziplock baggie, snip off a corner of the baggie, and pipe goat cheese onto the jalapeno corn cakes. You will probably have some honey whipped goat cheese left over – save it and use it as a cracker spread!

Tuck a piece of bacon and a fresh jalapeno semi-circle into the honey whipped goat cheese and then sprinkle lightly with cinnamon (I like to use this sifter spoon for an even sprinkle). Serve immediately.

All the individual components (jalapeno corn cakes, honey whipped goat cheese, bacon pieces, jalapeno slices) can be prepared a day prior to serving, but it’s best to wait to fully assemble the appetizers no more than an hour prior to serving for ultimate freshness. Then just refrigerate them until ready to serve.

From afarmgirlsdabbles.com