Holiday Roasted Beet and Crispy Walnuts with Whipped Goat Cheese

Steps

1. 1

   Roast the beetsOven 400°F / 205°C

   • Place scrubbed whole beets on a rimmed baking sheet.
   • Drizzle lightly with olive oil (about 1 tbsp / 15 ml), toss to coat, and wrap loosely with foil.
   • Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 40–45 minutes, until a knife pierces the flesh easily with no resistance.
   • The skins will wrinkle slightly.

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   Ready when: Knife slides through beet flesh with no resistance; skin wrinkles

   Tip: Do not peel beets before roasting—the skin keeps them moist and sweet. Wrapping in foil shortens cooking time and prevents drying.

2. 2

   Cool and peel beets

   • Remove beets from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes.
   • Once cool enough to handle, slip the skins off under cool running water (your fingers should rub the skin away easily).
   • Pat dry on a clean kitchen towel.
   • Cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.
   • You should have about 2 cups (300 g) of diced beets.

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   Ready when: Skin rubs away easily; beets are cool enough to handle

   Tip: Wearing disposable gloves prevents your hands from staining beet juice. Cool water keeps your hands from burning while peeling.

3. 3

   Toast and candy the walnuts

   • In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
   • Add walnut halves and stir constantly for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and beginning to turn light golden.
   • Add honey, ground cinnamon, and fresh thyme sprigs, stirring constantly for another 1–2 minutes until the honey caramelizes lightly and coats the walnuts.
   • Spread on parchment paper to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
   • Once cool, discard thyme sprigs and break walnuts into smaller pieces if desired.

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   Ready when: Honey foams and smells caramelized; walnuts are deep golden and crispy when cool

   Tip: Stir constantly to prevent burning. The walnuts will crisp up as they cool—do not overcook them on the stove or they will be bitter. Watch the heat closely for the last 30 seconds.

4. 4

   Whip the goat cheese

   • In a large mixing bowl, add room-temperature goat cheese and heavy cream.
   • Using an electric mixer on medium speed (or whisking vigorously by hand), beat for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and increased in volume by about one-third.
   • The consistency should be like soft-serve ice cream.

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   Ready when: Mixture is light, fluffy, and pale; volume increases noticeably

   Tip: Cold goat cheese will not whip properly—let it reach room temperature first. Do not overmix or it will become grainy and separate.

5. 5

   Fold in the beets

   • Gently fold the cooled diced beets into the whipped goat cheese using a rubber spatula, stirring until no white streaks remain but being careful not to deflate the mixture.
   • The dip should be marbled with swirls of pink and white.

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   Ready when: Beets are evenly distributed with no white streaks visible

   Tip: Use a folding motion rather than stirring to keep the whipped cheese airy. If the dip is too stiff, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

6. 6

   Season and zest

   • Taste the dip and season with fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.
   • Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and use a microplane to finely grate fresh orange zest generously over the top.
   • Scatter the candied walnuts over the surface, reserving a few for garnish if desired.

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   Ready when: Orange zest is fragrant and visible; walnuts are evenly distributed

   Tip: Add salt and pepper gradually—goat cheese is already tangy, so you need less salt than you might expect. Fresh orange zest brightens the earthy beets beautifully.