Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Delight

• 1 pound Carr Valley fresh goat cheese (about 2 cups)
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons finely ground toasted hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup chopped diced apricots, for garnish
• ¼ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries, for garnish

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat goat cheese and butter just until smooth. Add hazelnuts, sherry, and salt and blend until the mixture is smooth.

Line a quiche dish with plastic wrap, allowing the edges to overhang the pan. Fill the bottom of dish with chopped apricots and cranberries. Drop dollops of the cheese mixture on top of the dried fruits and gently spread to the edges of the dish with a knife or offset spatula.

Cover the cheese mixture tightly with plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight until it is firm. To unmold, remove the top layer of plastic wrap, place a large platter upside down on top of the quiche dish, and invert. Remove the quiche dish, using the plastic wrap lining to loosen the cheese from the dish. Gently peel the plastic wrap from the cheese spread. The dried fruit layer will now be on top.

Yield: 16 to 18 servings

Chef’s Note: When a recipe calls for chopped dried apricots, use kitchen shears to snip them into small pieces.