Maple Goat Cheese Canapés

it's ba-ack...

Fall that is (or almost) and so am I. My favorite time of the year will finally be here next week. And along with fall comes football, mums, pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, and one of my favorite flavors - maple. For this series I'm focusing on maple syrup and all its glorious dark amber color. It seemed to be the perfect flavor to welcome fall.

I made this recipe last night when my husband and our friend James were just hanging out having a "man's" night. There was football, some beer, a lot of burping, and way too much food. These canapés might seem too delicate to be considered man's food. Enter the ultimate man food - bacon. Yep, I added crumbled maple bacon to their canapés and they were rightfully dubbed "manapés". Try these out for your next game day get together. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 12 Canapés
1 Whole Wheat Loaf of Bread, sliced
8 oz. Goat Cheese, softened
2 1/2 T 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1 T Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
2/3 C Golden Raisins
3/4 C Smoked Salted Almonds, chopped
Optional: Maple Bacon, crumbled

Directions
If using the bacon, cook 3 slices until crisp. Then crumble and set aside.

Toast the bread: Preheat the broiler to high. Line the bread up on a large baking sheet. Toast for 1-2 minutes. Flip and toast for another minute. Set aside.

Make the maple goat cheese: In a medium bowl combine the softened goat cheese, maple syrup, and half the rosemary (1/2 T). Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.

Build the canapés: Spread each slice of bread with the maple goat cheese mixture. Top with the golden raisins, smoked almonds, and crumbled bacon (if using). Garnish with the remaining 1/2 T rosemary. Serve immediately! Welcome back fall!!