Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
¼ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped crispy sage (recipe below)
3 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
FOR THE OUTSIDE COATING:
⅔ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
½ cup finely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, sage and chives
Instructions
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To make the crispy sage, heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a skillet. Once melted and bubbling, add 8 to 10 sage leaves into the butter, cooking for 2 to 2 minutes. Remove the sage with kitchen tongs and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess grease.
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In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, pecorino, nuts, chives, sage, orange zest, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir until combined and everything is evenly distributed.
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Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your counter. Form the cheese mixture into somewhat of a ball and place it in the center of the plastic wrap. Wrap it up, forming it more into a ball as your go. Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or even overnight. After refrigerating, you can form it into more of a ball with your hands while it’s still wrapped in plastic.
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To roll the cheeseball, combine the macadamia nuts, pecans and herbs on a plate, stirring them together. Place the cheeseball on the plate and roll it through, coating the outside.
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You can serve the cheeseball immediately or wrap it up and serve a few hours later. You can make this a day or two ahead of time, but I would wait to roll the ball in the nuts, as they will soften over time because of the cream cheese.
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Recipe source - howsweeteats.com.
