Goat Cheese Truffles

When you hear the word truffle, what comes to mind?  Smooth, creamy, dense balls of chocolate dusted with cocoa that simply melt, as you eat them one by one.  However, while walking through Wegman's the other day, I was inspired to make a new kind of truffle: Goat Cheese Truffles.

These truffles are sweet AND savory; creamy goat cheese is formed into balls and then rolled in spiced pecans and dried cranberries.  These make perfect appetizers or toppings for salads.  They are simply adorable and would be perfect for a light holiday hors-d'oeuvre.

Goat Cheese Truffles

• 1 8 oz. Goat Cheese log, medium consistency
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup Spiced Pecans

1. Pecans:  Cover 1/2 cup of pecans in 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp curry powder. Cook in a skillet on medium heat until pecans have absorbed the syrup; let cool.
2. Chop cooled pecans and mix with cranberries in a small bowl
3. Roll goat cheese into 1/2 oz balls, making about 16
4. Roll the goat cheese balls into chopped pecan and cranberry mixture