Strawberry, Jalapeño and Goat Cheese Wreath Appetizer (2024)

Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

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Ingredients

• Strawberry Jalapeño Jam:

• 2 c fresh strawberries, chopped

• 1 small jalapeño, diced (see notes)

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

• Wreath:

• 2 tubes crescent roll dough

• 5 oz goat cheese, sliced (see notes)

• 3/4 c fresh strawberries, sliced

• 1/4 c sliced jalapeños

• 1/4 c chopped walnuts, toasted (divided)

• 1 egg beaten, for egg wash

• 1 pinch flaky salt

• 1 tbsp honey

Directions

• Start by making the strawberry jalapeño jam. Add the chopped strawberries, diced jalapeños, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a pot. Place over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble, stirring frequently. Once you start to see big bubbles, turn the heat down to medium low and allow the pot to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently and using the back of your spoon to mash the strawberries. Add some freshly ground pepper to taste.
• While the jam is simmering, toast the walnuts. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the chopped walnuts to the dry pan. Stir them or shake the pan every now and then so that they don’t burn. Once the nuts are fragrant and have browned, remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, set a rack in the center and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a small bowl in the center of the baking sheet. This will be what you place the crescent roll dough around to create the circle shape.
• Lay the crescent roll dough out around the bowl. Each tube of crescent roll has 8 triangles in it. I like to start at the top and work my way to the bottom with the first tube of dough and then complete the circle with the second tube of dough.
• Press gently on the dough where the edges meet to create a seal.
• Add the strawberry jalapeño jam. I added about 1/2 c of jam.
• Add the sliced goat cheese.
• Add the sliced strawberries.
• Add the sliced jalapeños.
• Add the toasted chopped walnuts. I reserve some to sprinkle over the top of the wreath after baking. So if you’ve measured out 1/4 cup, use about 2/3 of that here and save the rest for after.
• To remove the bowl, I use one finger and gently get it under the bowl, then lift it carefully out. Once the bowl is out, take all of the pointed ends of the crescent roll dough, pull them into the center, and press them under the dough to seal it.
• Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a little bit of flaky salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins. I like to turn the baking sheet at about 15 mins to help it bake evenly. It will be golden brown when done.
• Drizzle the wreath with honey and sprinkle the reserved walnuts over the top. Serve warm! Store leftovers in the fridge. The leftovers reheat really well.

Equipment

• Hexclad Damascus Steel Paring KnifeShop on Hexclad
• Cutting Board SetShop on Amazon
• Geometry House TowelsSave with SarahR15
• Rimmed Baking SheetShop on Williams Sonoma
• 2 qt Hybrid PotShop on Hexclad
• Hexclad Damascus Steel Chef’s Knife 8″Shop on Hexclad

Notes

• The amount of seeds that you leave in the jalapeños will determine how spicy your wreath will be. When making the jam, it’s up to you to decide if you want to leave some, all, or none of the seeds. I removed the seeds from the strawberry jalapeño jam, but left the seeds in the sliced jalapeños that I added to the wreath with the fresh strawberry slices.
• I find that putting the goat cheese into the freezer for about 20 mins before slicing helps it to stay together better when I slice it. I had an 8 oz. package of goat cheese and used a little over half of it.