Are you a true cheese lover? Do you always a good cheese plate and other cheese appetizers for the holiday celebrations? You will like this Almond Cranberry Cheese Ball then!
Message to Cheese Lovers
Hello, everyone! Happy Monday and the last day of November. It is just a few weeks until Christmas, and I want to slow down the time. First of all, the anticipation and preparing is much better than any holiday, in my book. Secondly, I want to share SO MANY festive ideas with you until it, without being overwhelmed.
That being said, I am going to try sharing 3 recipes this week again. That also means I am going to keep it short and sweet this time.
Who is a true cheese lover, please raise your hands? Perhaps, we love cheese appetizers as much (Or even more) than desserts during the holiday season.
Three years ago I discovered cheese ball, and the Christmas season (Both in our real life and on the blog) has changed. Why? Every year I make at least one of two festive cheese balls. Here are the previously shared recipes:
Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Ball
Pistachio Cranberry Bacon Cheese Ball
Tangerine Pecan Pomegranate Cheese Ball
As you can see, these are pretty much similar ideas, just with varied ingredients. This Almond Cranberry Cheese Ball is no exception. The more cheeseball ideas, the better, right? However, I will be sharing another ideas soon, and it’s going to be a different story. 100% savoury, not sweet & savoury. Stay tuned!
Almond Cranberry Cheese Ball
This cheese ball is awesome! It combines smoked almonds (Any would do), dried cranberries, fresh rosemary, and nutmeg. I also added some chopped dehydrated oranges (Freshly grated zest would do, too), and the orange aroma was phenomenal. That’s probably better than cookies.
I hope you like this and other cheeseball ideas, and you’d sneak one of them into your tight cookie schedule :) Cheers for now and see you soon!
Almond Cranberry Cheese Ball
Course: AppetizersDifficulty: Easy8-12
servings10
minutes10
minutes3
hours (or more)Are you a true cheese lover? Is a good cheese plate and other cheese appetizers must for your holiday celebration? You will like this Almond Cranberry Cheese Ball then!
Ingredients
- Cheese Ball:
~ 2 cups grated cheddar
~ 2 cups plain cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup smoked (or regular) almonds, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
3-4 rings dehydrated oranges, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp. freshly grated orange zest)
1/2 freshly grated nutmeg
- The Outer Layer:
~1/2 to 2/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
~ 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions
- In a large bowl combine the cream cheese and cheddar until well-mixed. Stir in the cranberries, almonds, rosemary, oranges, paprika, and nutmeg.
- The mixture will remain soft and sticky. Shape the mixture into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
- Remove from the fridge. Place the almonds and cranberries onto a board / plate. Rotating the cheese ball, roll the mixture into it, gently pressing. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
This sounds out of this world yummy! Love and need to make this and all your delicious cheese balls! The flavors sound incredible!
You had me at smoked almonds! You know I love all kinds of cheese, so I was already on board with this cheeseball – but then I saw smoked almonds. This sounds amazing! It’s a great appetizer for the holidays. (And since holiday gatherings will likely be a bit smaller this year, that just means more cheese ball for me!!)
David @ Spiced recently posted…Salted Caramel OREO Cookie Balls
Almond and cranberry, yum! This cheeseball looks absolutely delicious my friend! I would be hovering over this at any party. Cheese makes everything better!!