Whipped Feta With Hot Honey (Printable version)
Creamy whipped feta topped with warm spicy honey for an irresistible Mediterranean appetizer
# What you need:
→ Cheese Base
01 - 7 oz feta cheese, drained
02 - 3.5 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
→ Hot Honey
03 - 1/4 cup honey
04 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
→ For Serving
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, minced (optional)
06 - Cracked black pepper, to taste
07 - Crusty bread, pita chips, or crudités for dipping
# How to make it:
01 - Combine the drained feta and softened cream cheese in a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
02 - Transfer the whipped feta mixture to a serving bowl and smooth the surface evenly with the back of a spoon.
03 - In a small saucepan, gently warm the honey and red pepper flakes over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Avoid boiling. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.
04 - Spoon the warm hot honey evenly over the whipped feta. Finish with a sprinkle of minced herbs and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
05 - Present immediately alongside crusty bread, pita chips, or fresh vegetable sticks for dipping.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- It takes fifteen minutes from cabinet to table and looks like something from a restaurant menu.
- The contrast of salty, creamy feta with sticky spicy honey is the kind of flavor combo that makes people close their eyes when they taste it.
02 -
- Do not boil the honey or it will seize into a hard, unmanageable caramel instead of a glossy pourable glaze.
- If your feta is especially salty, soak it in cold water for ten minutes before whipping and you will be amazed at how much it mellows.
03 -
- A tiny splash of olive oil in the food processor makes the whip impossibly silky and helps it spread like a dream.
- Taste your feta before you start, because salt levels vary wildly between brands and that determines whether you need to adjust anything else.