Appetizers, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Holiday, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball with Pistachios

11 December

I’m a huge fan of nostalgic and retro holiday recipes. items like chilled shrimp cocktail, sausage balls, fruit cake and cheese balls are all crowd-pleasers with a touch of nostalgia. this oversized cranberry orange cheese ball with pistachios is the best christmas appetizer. It’s a sweet cheese ball bursting with flavors of fresh, juicy orange and chewy sweet dried cranberries, then rolled in crushed pistachios. serve the cheese ball with crackers on a decorative platter and you are ready to celebrate.

the inspiration:

this cheese ball was a customer favorite during my years running an organic meal delivery service. They were a highly-ordered catering item, with good reason. I loved the look of making the cheese ball oversized and grand looking on the outside along with the gorgeous white with studs of jewel-toned cranberries on the inside. it is so delicious spread atop your favorite cracker.

cheese ball ingredients:

cream cheese: the base of our sweet cheese ball starts with cream cheese.
mascarpone cheese: I also add sweeter mascarpone cheese to add flavor and texture.
fresh orange: freshly-squeezed orange juice and freshly-grated zest are essential .
fresh cranberries: I used dried cranberries inside the cheese ball and fresh cranberries to use as a decorative garnish.
pistachios: make sure to choose unroasted if you prefer a more vibrant, green color.
honey: to add a natural sweetness.
salt: always add salt to sweets, it bring out the flavors!
fresh thyme: an unexpected addition that is simply delightful with this flavor profile.

how to serve:

I serve this cheeseball chilled on a decorative platter with crackers. This is a gluten-free variety that I enjoy. You will want to select a sturdy cracker that holds up to the cheese ball. alongside the crackers, I added a bunch of fresh thyme and a couple handfuls of fresh cranberries to add a decorative touch and show what flavors are inside the cheeseball. This cranberry orange cheese ball with pistachios would be fabulous served alongside my sparkling hibiscus holiday punch.

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Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball with Pistachios

This Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball with Pistachios is the ultimate sweet & savory holiday appetizer paired with crackers.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Appetizer

Servings 12

Ingredients

2 blocks of 8oz cream cheese room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese chilled
1 Tablespoon fresh orange zest
¼ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
2 Tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup dried cranberries coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon picked fresh thyme
1 cup pistachios unroasted yields a bright green color
Crackers, fresh cranberries and fresh thyme bundle, for garnishing.

Instructions

Begin by adding your pistachios to a food processor. Pulse a few times until a coarse meal appears- make sure it's not too fine, but processed enough to roll a cheese ball in.
In a large bowl, add your softened room temperature cream cheese, cold mascarpone, orange juice and zest, honey, salt and picked thyme.
With a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer, whip the mixture until fluffy and all ingredients are incorporated, 3-4 minutes. Fold in your dried cranberries.
With a spatula, push the mixture toward the center of the bowl to begin creating a ball shape. Freeze the bowl for 10-15 minutes.
On a plate or shallow bowl with a lip, add the processed pistachios. Pull the cheese ball out of the freezer, and with clean hands, form into a ball shape. Add the ball to the pistachios and rotate it all around, making sure all sides are covered in pistachios, while continuing to form a ball shape. Your hands will get really messy- its ok if it's not perfect. You can form more later after it chills further.
Chill your cheese ball at least 1 hour until firm.
Serve on a platter with fresh cranberries, fresh thyme and crackers with a cheese knife. I like to use a spoon to pop out a first bite as many guests may be wary to dive in first. Serve spread atop crackers.