Liptauer Cheese with Pumpernickel Crostini

 Ingredients

8 oz vegan goat cheese, room temperature
4 oz unsalted plant butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 big pinches of salt, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted & crushed
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped shallots or onion
1 tablespoon chopped pickles

a few dozen thin pumpernickel crostini
one bunch of chopped chives, to serve

Instructions
Cream the vegan goat cheese in a large bowl either by hand or with a hand blender. Add the butter and incorporate that as well. Add the paprika, mustard, and salt and cream some more. Now, by hand, beat in the caraway seeds, capers, shallots, and pickles. Taste and adjust until everything is to your liking.

Assemble no more than an hour before serving, so your bread doesn't go soft. Spread the liptauer across each crostini, and sprinkle with chives.


*You can make crostini simply by tossing pieces of bite-sized, thinly sliced pumpernickel bread with a couple glugs of olive oil and the placing them on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until deeply toasted. Cool and store in an airtight jar until ready to use.