Everything old is new again. The enduring entertaining classic receives an update in these easy recipes.
Blue Cheese Ball
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 oz. crumbled blue cheese
4 Tbsp. chopped dried cherries
Coating:
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Serve with cocktail toasts or water crackers. And a nip of port.
Mediterranean Cheese Ball
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
Coating:
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Serve with toasted pita chips.
Spicy Cheese Ball
8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
pinch of salt
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
Coating:
3 Tbsp. pure chile powder, 2 tsp. cumin and 1 cup tostadas, pulverized in a food processor
Serve with sturdy tostadas.
Lemon Cheesecake Ball
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (superfine is great)
zest of one large lemon
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
Coating:
3/4 cup crushed fresh gingersnaps
Serve with thin Moravian-style gingersnaps.
Method:Â
In a food processor, blend softened cheeses and flavorings for each cheese ball. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover, and put it into the refrigerator to firm up. When it’s about the consistency of clay, mold the cheese into a sphere and roll it in the coating. You may have to pat the coating onto the ball. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
