Here’s a riff on a cheese ball recipe we made around Thanksgiving, but this time instead of shaping it into a turkey we turned it into a winter solstice pine cone!
Ingredients:
- 5 multi-grain crackers
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces Earth Balance butter, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Roasted almonds, for garnish
- Rosemary sprigs, for garnish
- Multi-grain crackers, for serving
- Place 5 crackers in a zip-top plastic bag and seal. Crush lightly with the back of a spoon. Mince the rosemary and thyme and add to the crackers. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, butter, salt, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon cracker mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until combined.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture onto plastic wrap, gather into a ball and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Roll the cheeseball in the remaining cracker mixture, then shape with your hands into a pine cone shape on a plate.
- Garnish with the almonds and a few extra sprigs of rosemary to look like a pine cone!
Travis thought this was spot-on and so beautiful!
How could we not serve it with steaming cups of hot cocoa?
We turned it into an impromptu “family date” for a board game night, the kids gleefully dipping into the cheeseball and sipping their cocoa as we played favorites like Candyland and Guess Who?
In sum, one little recipe turned into a whole winter evening of fun.
