Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Say cheese
No holiday (or party) required for these flavorful cheese balls
Pity the store-bought cheese ball.
That neon-orange blob rolled in tasteless nuts of indeterminate origin.
It is ubiquitous on party menus everywhere — well, everywhere in the South and Midwest — and no stranger to the side eye in these days of charcuterie platters, ahi tuna, tiny lobster rolls and cauliflower everything.
Hail the homemade cheese ball.
Orbs in shades of pale orange to off-white with coatings of seeds and nuts or verdant herbs.
It is ubiquitous on appetizer tables at parties everywhere — well, everywhere in the South and Midwest —and often the first to vanish along with the sweet-and-sour meatballs, spinach dip, deviled eggs and bacon-wrapped anything.
Cheeses balls and logs have been part of the American entertaining food canon since at least the early 20th century, according to information at foodtimeline.org.
The first reference to cheese balls we found in Arkansas newspapers was an article in the Dec. 23, 1923, Arkansas Gazette.
An early recipe published in The New York
Times in 1899 calls for mixing grated cheese with bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce and an egg. The mixture is shaped into small balls and fried.
A recipe in the 1918 Jewish Cook Book by Florence Kreisler Greenbaum calls for “one cake of cream cheese, one-quarter of a pound of chopped figs, one-quarter of a pound of chopped walnuts,
roll into balls and serve on lettuce leaves.” Another recipe, for Cheese Balls, No. 2, says to “mix one cake Neufchatel cheese, a piece of butter the size of the cheese, one tablespoon of cream, one-quarter teaspoon of salt and six dashes of Tabasco Sauce and form one large ball or several small ones and roll in chopped pecan nuts.”
James Beard’s Hors D’Oeuvre and Canapes published in 1940 offers recipes for half a dozen cheese balls.
CHEESE BALL TIPS
■ Chilled cheese grates more easily than room-temperature cheese, but room-temperature cheese blends better. For best results, grate the cheese called for in the recipe while the cheese is firm and chilled, then place it in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper and let it come to room temperature. The same for cheeses with rinds, such as brie or Camembert. Remove the rind (if desired or directed by recipe) while the cheese is still chilled and firm, then place the cheese in a bowl and let it soften at room temperature.
■ Cheese balls needn’t be limited to just balls. The blended mixture can be molded into just about any shape. To shape the mixture, line your mold — small bowls, funnels, loaf pans, small Bundt pans, mini brioche pans and yogurt containers work well — with plastic wrap, pack in the cheese mixture and refrigerate it in the mold until firm, usually 30 minutes to 1 hour. ■ Chopped nuts are the traditional coating for cheese balls, but nuts are certainly not the only option. Consider chopped fresh herbs, crumbled bacon, seeds, crushed corn chips or pretzels, chopped dried fruit or olives.
Everything (but the) Bagel Cheese Ball
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (8-ounce) wheel brie, rind removed, at room temperature
2 tablespoons toasted white
sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds 2 tablespoons dried onion
flakes
2 tablespoons dried garlic
flakes
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds OR nigella seeds, optional
½ teaspoon sea salt Bagel chips, rye chips or other crackers for serving Combine the softened cheeses in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat with the paddle attachment until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Line a small bowl (or desired shaped container) with a sheet of plastic wrap. Transfer cheese mixture to lined bowl. Gently gather the corners and twist to shape the cheese mixture into a ball. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.
In a shallow dish or on a separate sheet of wax paper, combine the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion flakes, garlic flakes, black sesame seeds and sea salt.
About 15 minutes before serving, unwrap cheese ball and coat in seed mixture, making sure the entire cheese ball is coated. Place coated ball on a platter and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
Serve with rye crackers, bagel chips or other crackers.
Makes 8 to 12 servings. Recipe adapted from Cheese Balls: 40 Celebratory and Cheese-licious Recipes by Dena Rayess
Bacon-Pimento Cheese “Truffles”
10 slices bacon
1 cup pecan halves 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
leaves
½ pound sharp or extra-sharp
orange cheddar, grated 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives OR finely chopped green onion tops
1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
(cayenne), or more to taste 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, rinsed and patted dry OR ¼ cup diced roasted red bell pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
Arrange bacon on the rack. Cook bacon, 20 to 25 minutes, turning slices occasionally until bacon is crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Using paper towels, blot fat from bacon and set aside to cool. Break cooled bacon into pieces.
In a food processor, combine half of the bacon, half of the pecans and all of the parsley. Process until bacon and pecans are the texture of coarse bread crumbs. Transfer mixture to a plate.
To the now-empty food processor, add the grated cheddar, cream cheese, the remaining bacon, the remaining pecans, the reserved tablespoon of bacon fat, chives, salt and cayenne. Process until mixture comes together. Add the pimentos or red bell pepper and process until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
To form the truffles, using your hands, scoop and roll the cheese mixture into quarter-size balls. Roll balls in bacon-pecanparsley mixture. Refrigerate until firm.
Serve with cocktail picks or in the center of round crackers arranged on a serving platter.
Makes about 25 “truffles.” Recipe adapted from Pimento Cheese The Cookbook by Perre Coleman Magness
Antipasto Cheese Trees (or Ball)
For the cheese mixture: 3 (8-ounce) packages cream
cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella
cheese
¼ cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and patted dry
½ cup diced roasted red bell peppers, jarred is fine, but pat dry
¼ cup diced dill pickles
4 green onions, white and
green parts finely diced ¼ cup chopped parsley 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon salt
For the coating:
2 cups pitted mixed olives,
patted dry Rosemary sprigs
For serving:
Assorted crackers, flat bread
crisps or bread sticks Salami slices, rolled Pepperoni slices, rolled Prosciutto slices, rolled Pepperoncini
Combine the cheeses, sundried tomatoes, bell pepper, pickles, green onions, parsley, garlic, oregano and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat with the paddle attachment until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Line one or two coneshaped molds (we used cone measuring cups, but funnels would work, too) with plastic wrap and pack with cheese mixture. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Arrange on a serving platter, flat side down, and remove plastic wrap. Press olives into cheese — you may wish to cut the larger olives in half — coating all exposed areas completely. Keeping the leaves in clusters, remove rosemary from sprig and tuck the clusters randomly between the olives. Arrange the crackers, salami, pepperoni, prosciutto and pepperoncini around the trees on the serving platter.
Makes about 24 servings or enough for two (2-cup) trees. Recipe adapted from cafedelites. com
Butter Pecan Goat Cheese Ball
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup maple syrup, divided
use
2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 cup pecans
Salt
8 ounces mild soft goat cheese, at room temperature
½ (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon bourbon or gold
rum, optional Graham crackers, apple or pear slices, for serving
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small sauce saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave, melt butter, then stir in 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and the brown sugar until sugar is melted and mixture has no lumps. Add the pecans and stir well to coat.
Arrange the pecans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with salt. Reserve any remaining brown sugar mixture.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring nuts halfway through, or until pecans are toasted evenly. Set aside to cool completely.
Combine the softened cheeses, remaining maple syrup, bourbon or rum (if using) and any remaining brown sugar syrup mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor; beat or process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Line a clean bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap. Transfer cheese mixture to the lined bowl. Gently gather the corners and twist to shape the cheese mixture into a ball. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.
Coarsely chop the candied pecans and place them in a shallow dish or on a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper.
About 10 minutes before serving, unwrap cheese ball and roll in candied pecans, making sure the entire cheese ball is coated. Place coated ball on a platter and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
Serve with graham crackers, apple slices or pear slices.
Makes 8 to 12 servings.