Prosciutto Baskets with Whipped Goat Cheese Filling

Welcome to day 6 of our 12 Days of Christmas Recipes. You can find a list of the other 11 days near the bottom of this post.

These elegant appetizers look a lot more complicated than they actually are. The trick is to use prosciutto that is sliced thin enough to manipulate, but not so thin that it will fall apart as you work with it. I love these topped with a sprinkling of salted pistachios. The mix of the reddish prosciutto, the white fluffy cheese filling, and the green pistachios look quite festive on a holiday party table. These are also great to bring as a potluck offering (When lockdowns are lifted of course).

JDA Pro Tip: If possible, have your prosciutto sliced by your grocery store’s deli department or charcuterie shop instead of buying the ready-sliced packages.

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Special Equipment needed:

24-cup mini muffin pan 
Pastry bag and tips 


JDA Tip: You can use a plastic sandwich bag with a small tip removed from one corner instead of the pastry bag to pipe the cheese mixture into the prosciutto baskets.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 24 appetizers
 

Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray
12 slices thinly sliced prosciutto
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
4 oz. ricotta cheese
3 T. heavy cream
2 T. fresh thyme, leaves only
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 c. pistachios, chopped

Prosciutto Basket Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375°F and spray a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with non-cook cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut prosciutto slices in half lengthwise to create 24 long, thin strips.

Take one thin strip of prosciutto and place is across an empty muffin cup, with the middle of the strip over the mid-point of the cup. Press the center of the prosciutto strip into the bottom of the cup. Carefully fold and wrap one end of the prosciutto around one interior side of the cup until it overlaps the prosciutto on the opposite side. Repeat with the opposite side of the prosciutto so that the exposed areas of the muffin cup are covered to form a “basket.”

Repeat this process with the remaining 23 muffin cups.

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Place muffin pan in pre-heated oven and bake for 9-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them while they bake so they don’t overcook. The edges of the prosciutto will start to brown when ready. 

While the prosciutto baskets are baking, combine the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and thyme leaves in a medium bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Set aside.

Remove the muffin pan from the oven and cool for several minutes before transferring each prosciutto basket to a plate lined with paper towels. Flip each basket after a couple minutes and blot carefully to remove excess grease. When complete, transfer baskets to a large serving platter.  

Once prosciutto baskets are cool to the touch, transfer the cheese mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a tip. Carefully pipe the goat cheese mixture into each prosciutto basket.

Top each cheese-filled prosciutto basket with some chopped pistachios and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Rest of the 12 Days of Christmas Recipes:

1. Orange Cranberry Scones
2. Sweet and Savory Spiced Pecans
3. Roasted Harvest Vegetable Soup
4. Cranberry Moscow Mule and Cinnamon and Cumin Infused Cranberry Spritzer
5. Prosciutto Baskets with Whipped Goat Cheese Filling
6. Easy Homemade Vanilla Fig Jam
7. Classic Caprese Skewers and Strawberry Caprese Skewers
8. Beef Tenderloin Stuffed with Portobello Mushrooms
9. Savory Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
10. Poached Pears with Honey Mascarpone Cream
11. Homemade Non-Alcoholic Eggnog
12. Southern Italian Antipasto

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