Spiced Orange, Sage and Macadamia Nut Cheese Ball

Name: Spiced Orange, Sage and Macadamia Nut Cheese Ball
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6 to 8 people
Ingredients: 2 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 cup finely grated pecorino cheese; 1/4 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts; 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives; 2 tablespoons chopped crispy sage; 3 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest; ½ teaspoon ground allspice; ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg; Pinch of salt; Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper; ⅔ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts; ½ cup Finely chopped pecans; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs

User Reviews

5.0

21 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings
6 to 8 people
Course
Appetizer
Cuisine
American

Spiced Orange, Sage and Macadamia Nut Cheese Ball

Kian Mendoza

Report

This macadamia nut cheeseball is flavored with fresh orange, spices, crispy sage and pecorino cheese. It's the perfect make-ahead snack!

Share:

I Made This!

Be the first!

Print

7 people printed this

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings

2 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
1/4 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

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

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.
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. Taste with a cracker and determine if you would like more spice or orange. I love it just like this!
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.
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.
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.