These little goat cheese balls get their beautiful golden colour from homemade breadcrumbs. I used a locally made gluten-free white bread from Portofino Bakery to made these amazing breadcrumbs so that everyone can enjoy this gluten-free appetizer this holiday season.
Servings: 12 pieces
Difficulty: Medium 
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450g) soft goat cheese (I use “Capriny” goat cheese from Alexis de Portneuf)
- 8 slices gluten-free white bread, with crusts cut off (I use the Gluten-Free White Bread from Portofino Bakery)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- Dried rosemary, for garnish
- Honey, for garnish (I use Maple Blossom Honey from Babe’s Honey Farm)
Directions:
Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Rip the bread into large chunks and place in the food processor. Add the salt, pepper and paprika. Pulse the food processor until the bread has been finely chopped.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs in an even layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet . Place them in the oven for 8-10 minutes or so, tossing the breadcrumbs halfway through. Remove the breadcrumbs from the oven once they are slightly golden and dried out. Set aside to cool completely.
Next, using a tablespoon, scoop the goat cheese into your hand and roll into balls. The balls should be slightly smaller than a golf ball. Once all the balls are formed, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs and water together. This will act as the glue to hold the breadcrumbs on the goat cheese.
Remove the goat cheese from the freezer and then place a cheese ball in the egg mixture. Roll the cheese ball around to fully coat it in egg and then place it in the breadcrumbs. Roll it around to fully coat, then repeat the process to create a double-breaded cheese ball. Place the cheese ball back on a the baking sheet and repeat for the remaining balls. Once all the cheese balls are breaded, place the entire tray back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes so that the breading and cheese can set up again before you fry them.
Next, heat the oil in a pot until it reaches 375 degrees F. Make sure that the oil only fills less than half of the pot so that it doesn’t bubble over.
Once the oil has come up to temperature and the cheese balls are firm, place 4-5 cheese balls into the pot of hot oil. Use a slotted spoon to turn the cheese balls every 30 seconds or so in the oil. They brown up really fast so keep your eye on them. Once the cheese balls are golden brown and crisp, remove them from the oil and drain them on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat this process for the remaining cheese balls.
While the cheese balls are still warm, arrange them on a plate and sprinkle some dried rosemary on top of each cheese ball. Next, drizzle some of your favourite honey over the entire platter of cheese balls (I used Babe’s Honey Farm Maple Blossom Honey…yum!). Serve warm with crackers or on top of a fresh green salad.
Enjoy!
