Holiday Whipped Feta with Cranberry Compote

The first time I tried whipped feta was at Butcher & Bee in Nashville, and I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since! I finally got the texture/ratio correct, and I knew this would make the PERFECT holiday appetizer. Hopefully, most people aren’t hosting large gatherings this year, but even if it’s just you and your household, this will make the perfect treat!

Since this is a holiday whipped feta, I topped it off with a cranberry compote to make it festive. You can always modify the recipe and use the dip as a base, and you can just top it with honey or chives, or mix in any other herbs you might find interesting. For this one, I think it could taste delicious to mix in some rosemary directly into the dip for more herbiness!

Ingredients

Whipped Feta

• 6 oz cream cheese

• 7 oz feta (I use a block rather than crumbled)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Cranberry Compote

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

• Zest of 1/2 orange

• Juice of 1/2 orange (about 2 tbsp orange juice)

• 3 tbsp maple syrup (can sub with honey)

Toppings

• Honey

• Fresh rosemary sprigs

1. Let cream cheese thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes before using. While cream cheese thaws, make cranberry compote. Add cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, and maple syrup to a bowl, and mix together. Add to a small saucepan on medium heat, and cook until cranberries burst, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. To make whipped feta, add thawed cream cheese, feta, and olive oil to a food processor or blender, and process until everything is well combined and smooth (making sure not to over blend). Texture should be light and whipped, not too chunky and not overly smooth.

3. Transfer to a bowl, and top with cranberry compote, a generous drizzle of honey, and some sprigs of fresh rosemary. Serve with crackers, bread, or pita.