Description
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Cheese Ball sparkles with holiday cheer, blending cream cheese, cheddar, and festive garnishes. Peppers, olives, and nuts create a whimsical reindeer face that guests will adore and devour at seasonal gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- ¼ cup crushed pecans or crushed pretzels
- 2 large pretzel sticks
- 1 red candy or cherry tomato
- 2 candy eyes or small rounds of cream cheese/olives
Instructions
- Mixing: Vigorously combine cream cheese, cheddar, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until achieving a silky, homogeneous texture.
- Shaping: Mold the creamy mixture into a compact, smooth spherical form, eliminating any air pockets for a dense consistency.
- Chilling: Wrap the cheese ball securely in plastic film and refrigerate for one hour to allow flavors to intensify and structure to solidify.
- Coating: Meticulously roll the chilled sphere through crushed pecans or pretzels, ensuring an even, crunchy exterior coverage.
- Decorating: Playfully transform the cheese ball into Rudolph by carefully positioning candy eyes, inserting pretzel stick antlers at a natural angle, and crowning with a vibrant red candy or cherry tomato to represent his signature glowing nose.
- Serving: Artfully arrange on a festive platter alongside an array of crisp crackers, pretzels, or fresh vegetable sticks for an interactive holiday appetizer experience.
Notes
- Chill Thoroughly: Refrigerate the cheese ball for at least 1 hour to ensure firm texture and melded flavors, preventing crumbly consistency.
- Smooth Blending Technique: Mix ingredients gradually and evenly, using a spatula or electric mixer to eliminate lumps and create a perfectly smooth base.
- Coating Precision: Roll the cheese ball gently through nuts or pretzels, ensuring complete and even coverage without breaking the delicate sphere.
- Decorative Flexibility: Swap red candy or cherry tomato with alternative red elements like roasted red pepper or small red bell pepper piece for different visual appeal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg