This harissa cottage cheese dip with hot honey is your new cheese board staple

This dip is a true party-starter — creamy, spreadable and packing a spicy-sweet punch. It’s sure to become your new cheese board staple this holiday season. The flavours of the Aleppo pepper-infused hot honey and harissa cottage cheese are fantastic on their own, but together, they’re just magic. Pair it with crackers, veggies and all your favourite accoutrements for the ultimate appetizer. 

This recipe also ensures there will be lots of homemade hot honey leftover — jar it for later or bring it along as a host gift to your next holiday gathering.

Harissa Cottage Cheese Dip with Aleppo Pepper Hot Honey

Note: if you aren’t able to make your own hot honey, store-bought will work just fine.

Ingredients

Hot honey:

• 1 cup raw honey
• A few dashes of hot sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp Aleppo pepper
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt

Cottage cheese dip:

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 10-15 basil leaves
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt

Preparation

Hot honey:

Add honey to a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. 

Add the hot sauce and apple cider vinegar, stir, then remove from heat. 

While the mixture is still warm, stir in the Aleppo pepper, chili flakes and salt. 

Let cool, and store in a jar at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 weeks.

Makes 1 cup.

Cottage cheese dip:

Add all the dip ingredients to a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth, with just small specs of basil remaining. 

Serve in a shallow bowl with a drizzle of hot honey and extra olive oil. 

Makes 1 cup.

Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.