The Port Wine Cheese Ball
When I was a kid, during the holiday season, my mom worked at Hickory Farms in the mall. Now for those of you unfamiliar with this company, they sold boxes of candy and popcorn and baskets filled with delicious assortments of cheeses and smoked meat products. Yes, these goodies were the perfect gift for that “hard-to-shop for” relative in your life or, if you rather, a wonderful present for a teacher or boss. And to top it off, the products were all securely shrink wrapped, ensuring their freshness and flavor for the year to come. These items really were something to enjoy all year long, truly a gift that kept giving.
“But why bring up Hickory Farms and your mother’s seasonal employment, Bob?” Well, you see one of the perks of her job was bringing home free samples, and these samples are the inspiration for my latest recipe. You see every year, along with a log of smoked sausage product, mom brought home a cheese ball. And let me tell you folks, nothing is more festive than a cellophane wrapped ball of pink colored cheese rolled in nuts. I sort of think of them as the savory brother of the fruit cake…no holiday is complete without one of these little jewels.
So after tweaking a recipe out of The Ultimate Uncheese Cook Book by Jo Stepaniak, I came up with my version of the PORT WINE CHEESE BALL. This is an essential holiday recipe to pass down to your children; however, this one comes without plastic shrink wrap. Double or even triple the recipe so you can bring one to the office party, share one with the neighbors, and enjoy one with the family around the hearth singing carols. I am certain all will enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Raw Unsalted Cashews
- 3-4 Roasted Garlic Cloves
- ½ Tsp Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp Sweet Paprika
- ½ Tsp Dry Mustard
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tbs Chickpea Flour
- ¼ Cup Port Wine
- Juice from ½ a Lemon
- ½ Cup Pecans
Instructions
Soak your cashews overnight in enough water to cover plus two inches. I put mine in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the frig. If you are pressed for time, you can boil the cashews in the same amount of water for 10-15 minutes or until they get soft. Once the cashews have soaked, drain them well. Place these in your food processor, VitaMix, or blender. Add in the garlic cloves, onion powder, paprika, mustard, salt, yeast, flour, wine and lemon juice. Process the mix until you get a nice creamy and thick consistency and all the nuts are pureed.
Next, crush the pecans into small but distinguishable pieces. I crush the pecans in a small plastic bag using, ironically enough, my meat tenderizing mallet. You could also use anything heavy and thick like a skillet or rolling pin. Pour the pecans out on a plate. Take the cheese mix out of its blending apparatus and using your immaculately clean hands roll the cheese into a ball. Your hands will get messy, but you sometimes have to roll up your sleeves to achieve holiday goodness. Then roll the cheese ball in the crushed pecans pressing the nuts gently into the surface until the entire thing is covered with pecans.
Notes
The long prep time in this recipe is basically used to soak the cashews overnight.
The Essential Holiday Appetizer
Now I like to put my cheese ball back in the frig for about an hour to let it set up and chill. However, if you got carols to sing and eggless nog to drink, then pull out your favorite crackers and enjoy. And if you are giving this as a gift, go ahead and wrap it up in cellophane. I won’t judge. Just make sure you enjoy this little holiday goodie now as it won’t last all year long. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
I just got the obligatory hickory farms gift pack….just because we always had one around over the holiday.
Also, I love the way you write and the humor in something so — vegan…
We did this cheese ball recipe a couple days ago. It was excellent! It’s very simple and quick. We will use it as an appetizer going forward.
I will be making this tonight for our snack tray to watch the Walking Dead!