Holidays is my favorite time of the month year, festive and bright, where you get to show off your culinary artistry; you will be the hit of the party with the Holiday Tree Holiday Orange Cranberry Cheeseball. Furthermore, what better way to impress your family and guests this holiday season than with this festive orange-flavored cranberry pecan, and garlic-loaded cheese ball. Moreover, this tasty crowd-pleasing cheese ball comes together in under 20 minutes, is self-serve, and doesn’t require anything fancy. And, serve it with a box of crackers and your done!! What is more, they are absolutely delicious and so pretty and easy to make, too; all made with orange flavored cranberries, cream cheese, smoked paprika, pomegranate seeds, sliced almonds and seasonings.
Holiday Cheeseball
Overall, it’s hard to choose what you you like best when it comes to holidays; sparkling lights, the outdoor decorations, the Christmas market events, holiday musical shows like “The Little Mermaid”, or visiting Santa Claus at the mall.
However, I must say I do enjoy trying out new recipes, gourmet blends, special flavor extracts, and creating a masterpiece.
First of all, a typical cheeseball is crispy from outside while soggy from inside due to the cheese stuffing. What is more, these cheeseballs taste great in every bite when the generously stuffed cheese inside melts into the mouth. As a result, these snacks become even yummier with the addition of a pinch of seasonings like pepper and herbs like oregano. As a matter of fact, some common examples are Green Chile Cheese Ball, Cream Cheese Penguins, Shrimp Cheese Ball, etc.
Nevertheless, legend has it that a Massachusetts farmer created the first cheese ball in recorded history in 1801 and presented to President Jefferson at the White House. However, it is said to have weighed 1,235 pounds.
For the most part, this is an easy recipe and is so versatile. Although, just make sure that the cheese is chilled enough to be able to handle and shape.
Ingredients needed:
cream cheese
White Sharp Cheddar Cheese
orange-flavored cranberries
pecans
cayenne
smoked paprika
Worcestershire sauce
garlic, cloves
green onions
orange
fresh flat-leaf parsley
pomegranate seeds
sliced almonds
crackers
Tools you’ll need :
Food processor or Hand-mixer
plastic wrap
rubber spatula
Serving platter
Holiday Tree Orange-Cranberry Cheeseball
Ingredients
2 – 8 ounce cream cheese
1-3/4 cups White Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 to 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
3 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup very finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Almond crackers or your favorite crackers like Ritz
Directions
- First, add the cream cheese, Cheddar, cayenne, Worcestershire, onions, orange zest and some salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Then, pulse until mixture is almost smooth; you still want a few bits of cheese in there. Remove with a rubber spatula to a piece of plastic wrap. Then, place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, form into a shape of a (cone) like a tree.
- Press the chopped parsley into the surface of the cheese tree to make it green, make sure to cover all the white areas.
- Decorate with pomegranate seeds and slivered almonds in the cheese ball, like in the photo.
- Transfer the cheese tree to the center of a platter. And, serve with almond crackers or your favorite crackers.
Note
Substitute the pomegranate seeds for the red bell pepper if you prefer.
The Cheeseball can be made a day ahead. Keep it wrapped in plastic and in refrigerator and then before serving, roll the ball into your favorite mixture of parsley, orange-flavored cranberries; and toasted pecans pressing them lightly into the cheeseball and then sporadically decorating the tree with slivered almonds (leaves) and pomegranate seeds (lights).
Keep In the Know… Subscribe, today!
Be sure to Bookmark this site. And, check back often, because I change it and add new pages all the time. Furthermore, we have an amazing E-newsletter that we only send out updates and key information on Amazing Finds and Deals. In either event, no need to worry about us selling or sharing your info… we do not, ever. Not to mention, we appreciate you being a part of what we are doing here, and look forward to several more decades of being an information source. Moreover, Register in the top right-hand corner. We’ll update you on any new finds, more delicious new recipes, and innovative products. However, we have amazing Health and Wellness Products that might be of interest to you or check out the categories to your right for more Incredible Finds and Amazing Gifts.
