Bring cheese and butter to room temperature about an hour before starting the recipe.
Using a food processor with a blade attachment, pulse the olives, capers, parsley, shallot and parsley. Transfer to a bowl.
Place the cheeses and butter into the food processor (no need to wash between steps) and run on low to cream the ingredients together. Return the chopped mix to the canister and pulse to combine.
Transfer cheese mixture to a wrap-lined bowl. Gather corners and twist to create ball shape. Transfer to fridge and chill for at least 1 hour.
Create the cheese ball:
Place walnuts into a large bowl. Remove cheese mixture from fridge and while still in wrap, form it into the shape of a ball. Remove the wrap carefully and place the ball into the bowl of walnuts. Roll it in the nuts to coat the outside. Transfer the cheese ball to a serving plate, platter or cheese board and decorate with mint, walnut halves and pomegranate seeds. Serve with crackers, vegetables, and slices of apple and pear.
Festive Cheese Ball
Ingredients
For the cheese mixture:
½ cup sliced black olives
½ cup sliced green olives
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
½ cup chopped parsley
1 shallot, chopped
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter
4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, room temperature
black pepper to taste
For the coating:
1 cup chopped walnuts
For garnish:
walnut halves
mint
pomegranate seeds
To serve:
assorted crackers
vegetable crudités
sliced apples and pear
Directions
Create the cheese mixture:
Bring cheese and butter to room temperature about an hour before starting the recipe.
Using a food processor with a blade attachment, pulse the olives, capers, parsley, shallot and parsley. Transfer to a bowl.
Place the cheeses and butter into the food processor (no need to wash between steps) and run on low to cream the ingredients together. Return the chopped mix to the canister and pulse to combine.
Transfer cheese mixture to a wrap-lined bowl. Gather corners and twist to create ball shape. Transfer to fridge and chill for at least 1 hour.
Create the cheese ball:
Place walnuts into a large bowl. Remove cheese mixture from fridge and while still in wrap, form it into the shape of a ball. Remove the wrap carefully and place the ball into the bowl of walnuts. Roll it in the nuts to coat the outside. Transfer the cheese ball to a serving plate, platter or cheese board and decorate with mint, walnut halves and pomegranate seeds. Serve with crackers, vegetables, and slices of apple and pear.
Festive Cheese Ball
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Soft gorgonzola and cream cheese blended with capers, olives, shallots and parsley, rolled in chopped walnuts…
You’re gonna have a ball making this FESTIVE CHEESE BALL.
Although it’s easy to do, there is one difficult moment: taking that first bite! You’ll see that it’s just so darn gorgeous, you won’t want to wreck it by digging in. But we’re begging you, do just that! How else will you appreciate the wondrous flavour of this creamy cheese ball?
We expect you’ll want to keep this recipe and make it again and again for years to come, so PIN it to a holiday party food board or bookmark the page for future reference. We also suggest sharing it with friends by forwarding the link or posting a pic of your own FESTIVE CHEESE BALL on your favourite socials.
Ready? Let’s play (FESTIVE CHEESE) BALL!
MAKING A LIST
I’m guessing you’re like me; whenever I leave the house or cottage, especially during the busy holiday season, I first jot down all my recipe requirements on a shopping list. Looking at the ingredients for this cheese ball recipe, you’ll see that it doesn’t need much. I love making the shortlist!
You will need some parsley and walnuts, but I’m sure those are both readily available at your local supermarket. Since cheese ball recipes are often served over the holidays, it’s not a bad idea to have enough ingredients to do the recipe at least twice. Remember, some friends and family think it’s fun to pop by, unannounced!
FROMAGE HOMAGE
The secret of how to make this cheese ball involves creaming butter together with two soft cheeses. The first is cream cheese, which often appears in recipes like this, and the second is a richly flavoured Gorgonzola. If you’ve not tried Gorgonzola cheese before, this is an excellent opportunity to do so.
Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese often used in pasta, pizza and salad recipes. I used it here because of its creaminess and slightly salty finish. You’ll notice no other salt is added to the recipe. The Gorgonzola does the trick.
Friendly, festive reminder: bring the butter and cheeses to room temperature before you begin the recipe for best results.
SAVOUR FLAVOURS
The rest of the flavour for this recipe comes from the olives, capers and shallot. As I type this, I’m thinking this cheese ball might have ended up with a bit of an Italian theme to it. That said, practice Italian holiday greetings like “buon natale!” for when holiday revellers take a bite!
IT’S A WRAP
This cheese ball recipe is the exact opposite. You’re going to love the way I lined a small bowl with wrap, stuck the freshly made cheese mixture into it and then wrapped it up. Once the mixture chills, it’s already in a rounded shape so we roll and serve – no almond pinecones in sight!
HAVE A BALL
The end of this story is where we garnish the finished party snack with walnut halves, fresh mint and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. Remember to bring the cheese ball to room temperature before serving, then decorate right before it’s placed out for everyone to enjoy.
Lastly, serve your FESTIVE CHEESE BALL with assorted crackers and vegetable crudités, but we also think it extra delicious when enjoyed on sliced apples and pears. Wait until you try it.
Bring cheese and butter to room temperature about an hour before starting the recipe.
Using a food processor with a blade attachment, pulse the olives, capers, parsley, shallot and parsley. Transfer to a bowl.
Place the cheeses and butter into the food processor (no need to wash between steps) and run on low to cream the ingredients together. Return the chopped mix to the canister and pulse to combine.
Transfer cheese mixture to a wrap-lined bowl. Gather corners and twist to create ball shape. Transfer to fridge and chill for at least 1 hour.
Create the cheese ball:
Place walnuts into a large bowl. Remove cheese mixture from fridge and while still in wrap, form it into the shape of a ball. Remove the wrap carefully and place the ball into the bowl of walnuts. Roll it in the nuts to coat the outside. Transfer the cheese ball to a serving plate, platter or cheese board and decorate with mint, walnut halves and pomegranate seeds. Serve with crackers, vegetables, and slices of apple and pear.
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