Antipasto Cheese Ball Christmas Tree Recipes

CHRISTMAS TREE CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• Add the cream cheese, Cheddar, cayenne, Worcestershire, scallions, lemon juice and some salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is almost smooth; you still want a few bits of cheese in there. Remove with a rubber spatula to a piece of plastic wrap and wrap up the cheese mixture. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Shape the cheese mixture with your hands into a Christmas tree/cone using the plastic wrap to keep it together. Mix the chopped parsley and dill together on a plate or work surface. Coat the shaped cheese in the chopped herbs.
• Transfer the cheese tree to the center of a platter. Decorate with the pomegranate seeds as ornaments. Serve with buttery crackers.

CHRISTMAS TREE CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, onion, and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl with an electric mixer until completely blended. Turn cheese mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper and form it into the shape of a Christmas tree. Refrigerate cheese 'tree' until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Cut bell pepper into thin strips and 1 star shape.
• Press parsley into cheese tree to cover. Press bell pepper strips in a row to form a 'garland'. Make another 'garland' using chopped pecans. Place bell pepper star at the top of the 'tree'. Carefully transfer 'tree' to a serving platter.

ANTIPASTO CHEESE BALL CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the dip and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
• Place a piece of non-stick plastic wrap on a clean bench top or work surface. Scoop the cream cheese mixture out onto the plastic wrap and completely cover with another piece of wrap (you may need two pieces to cover it).
• Use your hands to mould the cream cheese into a tree shape. Then, carefully pick up the tree with one hand and peel off the plastic wrap on the bottom of the tree with your other hand. Place the tree straight onto a serving plate.
• Use a cake spatula to smooth the edges. Decorate with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary leaves/sprigs, lightly pressing each element into the cream cheese to ensure they stay on. Brush with some sun dried tomato oil from the jar (optional but adds even more flavour)!
• Top with a star cut out of a yellow or orange bell pepper OR a thick slice of cheese.
• Serve with crackers of your choice, salami and prosciutto slices rolled up!
• Recipe Notes.
• The cream cheese is more stable in a wider tree shape rather than a tall, thin tree. The taller tree folds over and collapses.
• If you find your cream cheese has softened too much and won't hold its shape, refrigerate it until it thickens again (about 20 minutes).
• Pat dry each olive and sun dried tomato on a sheet of paper towel before decorating your tree to make sure they stay on, or they may slide off if covered in oil from the jar.

CHEERIO CHRISTMAS TREES

Steps:

• Heat butter in 3-quart saucepan.
• Add marshmallows.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.
• Remove from heat; stir in food color and vanilla.
• Fold in cereal until evenly coated.
• Quickly shape warm cereal mixture into Christmas tree shapes (about 2/3 cup per tree) on waxed paper, using buttered hands.
• Cut gumdrops into thins slice.
• Press gumdrop slices sticky side onto trees for "ornaments".