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5.0 from 21 votes

Spiced Orange, Sage and Macadamia Nut Cheese Ball

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

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

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 (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

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.