Cheese Ball with dates and pecans
This is a delicious savory treat to accompany your cocktail hour. Served with crackers and a nice jam, the salty nuts and creamy cheese mixture are perfection.
Ingredients
Cheese mixture
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 3 ounces blue cheese
- 3 ounces butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1/3 cup of diced dates
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbs chopped scallions
pecans
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tsp Sea salt
finishing the cheese ball
- 2 tbs parsley
Instructions
prepare the cheese ball
- Combine the cheeses and butter with the hot sauce and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix the ingredients until well blended.
- Add the dates and scallions and mix gently until the fruit and scallion are evenly distributed – being sure to keep the texture of the dates – so there are visible chunks of date meat in the cheese mixture. (This step can be done manually with a spatula or spoon.)
- Place the mixture into a plastic container and refrigerate until firm – at least 2 hours prior to serving. This step can be done days in advance of a party and the mixture will be fine for up to a week in the refrigerator.
toasting the pecans
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
- In a small mixing bowl, toss the pecans in the melted butter and sea salt.
- Pour the nuts onto a small baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, tossing once midway through.
- Allow the nuts to cool.
- The nuts can be stored in the refrigerator until you are ready for the final preparation of the cheese ball.
creating the cheese ball
- Chop the nuts and spread them out on a cutting board.
- Roll the cheese into a ball using your hands
- Roll the cheese into the nuts to evenly encrust the ball with the nuts.
- Chop the parsley and spread it onto the same cutting board.
- Repeat the rolling process to evenly coat in parsley.
Notes
Serving suggestions:
The cheese ball can be stored in the refrigerator but should be served at room temperature. It is lovely to serve this with a buttery cracker, or a fruit and nut-cracker along with a flavorful fruit preserve – such as fig or cherry jam.