Cheese ball wreath
Serves: 10-12 as a canapé or starter
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Cheese ball wreath
Everyone will want to know the secrets of this wow-factor start or end to a meal. Pile up on handfuls of fresh bay leaves and herb sprigs for an elegant centrepiece, adding small grape bunches or halved figs if you like
Serves: 10-12 as a canapé or starter
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (ball)
Calories
97Kcal
Fat
7gr
Saturates
4gr
Carbs
4gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
3gr
Salt
0.3gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 echalion shallots, finely chopped
- 1 x 125g log Abergavenny soft goat’s cheese
- 200g medium cheddar, finely grated
- 250g full-fat soft cheese
- 2 tsp clear honey
To coat
- 70g pecans or walnuts, toasted
- 125g dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 2/3 x 20g pack chives
To serve
- fresh herb sprigs, to garnish (we used rosemary, sage, thyme and bay leaves)
- bread and/or crackers*
Step by step
Get ahead
Make the rolled and coated cheese balls the day before and arrange on a lined baking tray; cover and keep chilled. Assemble the wreath up to 4 hours ahead of serving and chill.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and gently sweat the shallots until soft; about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool completely.
- Add the goat’s cheese, cheddar, soft cheese and honey to the shallots. Use a wooden spoon to mash together until everything is well combined. Season with black pepper and chill while you prepare the coatings.
- Pulse the pecans in a small food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Finely chop the dried cranberries with a knife and combine with the sesame seeds in another bowl. Very finely chop the chives and place in a third bowl.
- Take small spoonfuls of the cheese mixture and roll into bite-size balls (18-20g each). Roll one-third of the balls in the pecans, pressing to coat. Repeat with the remaining cheese balls in the cranberry mixture or the chive mixture.
-
Stack the cheese balls in a wreath shape, on a decorative bed of herb sprigs. Serve with bread and/or crackers.
*Serve with gluten-free bread and/or crackers, if required.
