Christmas Cream Cheese Balls!

18 Dec

Spread the word how good these are! Spreadable cream cheese rolled in toasted nuts, seeds and dried fruits with endless delicious combinations. We love that they can be adapted to use whatever you have on hand.

Such a crowd pleaser - they can be served as appetisers, on grazing tables or as party food making them perfect for gatherings. The festive recipe comes out at Christmas time for us but honestly it’s an all year rounder.

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Ingredients – Sweet

1 Tbsp, The Salty Greek (any blend)
250g Philadelphia Block Cream Cheese, softened (or other cream cheese of your choice)
100g white chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 Cup, chopped roasted Hazelnuts
1/4 Cup, Cranberries roughly chopped
1/4 Cup, Pistachios roughly chopped

Ingredients – Savoury

1 Tbsp, The Salty Greek (any blend)
250g Philadelphia block cream cheese, softened
100g grated cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup, chopped roasted Hazelnuts
1/4 Cup, Cranberries roughly chopped
1/4 Cup, Pistachios roughly chopped

Recipe Steps – Sweet

Combine your 250g softened block cream cheese, melted chocolate and caster sugar in a bowl.
Chill for about 1 hour or until firm.
Combine the chopped nuts and cranberries, put on a dinner plate.
With clean hands, gently form 2 larger balls, or 6-8 smaller balls. Aim for a smooth round shape to help with coating. Having slightly damp hands can help with this.
Toss each ball and coat in the nut/cranberry mixture, pressing lightly to ensure an even coating, repeat if making more than one ball. Alternatively, you can roll the mixture over it, as the cranberries stick to the nuts making it more pliable.
Sprinkle with The Salty Greek blend. We recommend using our Grinders with a very fine setting to get a slightly salty dust that elevates and balances the sweeter ingredients.
Place on a large serving platter and serve with ginger biscuits or sweet crackers.

Recipe Steps – Savoury Version

Combine your softened block cream cheese, grated cheese and The Salty Greek in a bowl.
Tip: If you’re in a rush, you can just use a block of cream cheese and sprinkle The Salty Greek over it instead of mixing and chilling.
Chill for about 1 hour.
With clean hands, gently form 2 larger balls, or 6-8 smaller balls. Aim for a smooth round shape to help with coating. Having slightly damp hands can help with this.
Combine the roasted nuts and chopped cranberries, put on a dinner plate.
Toss each ball and coat in the mixture, pressing lightly to ensure an even coating.
Chill in the fridge for another hour or so, until balls feel sturdy.
Remove from fridge and place on a serving platter.
Serve with crackers, garnish with fresh rosemary or parsley.

Do Ahead: This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator the day before.

Suggestions:

We recommend toasting the nuts for a richer depth of flavour.
Serve with crackers, fresh vegetables or sliced baguette.
Savoury variety: add chopped fresh chives or green onion
Savoury variety: swap cheeses, try feta or crumbed blue cheese.
Sweet variety: swap cranberries for apricots, add shredded coconut, maybe even peanut butter!
Try different types of nuts - walnuts, pecans, silvered almonds, etc.
If you have any leftovers, place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate in the container for up to 5 days.

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