Spring is officially here. It’s a lovely day, sun shiney, a bit cool, but leaves are starting to come out. I am keeping a close eye on all of the perennials I planted last fall, and almost all have come up. And of course we have been babying our vegetable seedlings in our grow-tent, which will start to go into the ground any minute now. It’s a very hopeful time of year, full of new beginnings and promise.
We have been hosting special receptions each month as a part of the celebration of our choir’s 25th anniversary. Each month I am faced with the challenge of beautiful finger food that fits in a budget, and isn’t the same every time. I often use ingredients I’ve popped into the freezer. Cheese and crackers are always a good staple. We tried out two different recipes of cheese balls, and ended up combining elements of both to make a really classy cheese ball with lots of flavor. It’s a cheddar/Parmesan with port wine-soaked craisins folded into the mixture. Really delicious, and everyone loved it!
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Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded ( I like a sharp one)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup onion(s) finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic roasted
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup craisins dried
- 1/2 cup port wine
- 1/2 cup pecans finely chopped
Instructions
- Soak craisins in port wine.
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheeses, lemon zest, onion, garlic, pepper, cayenne until well combined, adding craisins at the end.
- Put chopped pecans on a piece of waxed paper.
- Remove cheese mixture from bowl, form into a ball, and roll in the chopped pecans.
- Can be refrigerated, but fine to serve right away.