Snowman cheese ball is three balls of white Cheddar and cream cheese stacked on a skewer, then rolled in more cheese for snow. A carrot nose, olive eyes and blanched asparagus arms finish him off. No cooking at all, and he feeds nineteen with crackers.
A wooden skewer holds the whole thing upright and it is nowhere in the ingredient list. Buy one before you start, and pull it out at the table before anyone digs in, because it sits hidden inside the cheese.
The ingredient list runs two items into one line, so it reads fine salt 1 small carrot with no amount for either. The method gives the salt away as one teaspoon, and the carrot is for the nose.
Snowman Cheese Ball
Course: AppetizerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes300
kcalCream cheese beaten with white Cheddar, Worcestershire and lemon zest, chilled firm, then rolled into three stacked balls and coated in more cheese. Vegetables do the face, arms and scarf.
Ingredients
One 8-ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
5 cups shredded white Cheddar (1 pound), divided
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 small carrot
2 asparagus spears, blanched
3 black olives, sliced in half
One 12-inch strip English cucumber or celery, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler
1 wooden skewer, 6 to 8 inches
Crackers, for serving
Directions
- Mix the cheese: Beat the cream cheese, Worcestershire, lemon zest, 3 cups of the Cheddar and the salt in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until thoroughly combined, scraping the bowl down as you go. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill about 30 minutes, until firm.
- Build the snowman: Roll the mixture into three balls, just over 4, 3 and 2 inches across. Roll each one in the remaining 2 cups of Cheddar for a snowy outside. Push the skewer down through the largest ball, then thread the body and the head onto it.
- Decorate: Cut an inch off the tapered tip of the carrot for the nose. Push the asparagus spears into the body for arms, use two olive halves for eyes and the remaining four for buttons, then wrap the shaved cucumber around his neck as a scarf.
- Serve: Set the snowman on a platter with crackers alongside.
FAQs
Can I make it ahead?
Mix and chill the cheese up to two days early and keep it wrapped in the fridge. Roll, stack and decorate on the day, because cut vegetables weep and the coating of cheddar goes damp overnight. An hour out of the fridge before serving softens it enough to spread.
Why roll the balls in more cheddar at the end?
The two cups held back are the snow, and they are the only reason this reads white instead of beige. Roll while the balls are still cold so the shreds press in and stay put. Press any bare patches with your palm rather than adding more.
What can I use instead of asparagus arms?
Pretzel sticks are the easy swap and they hold their shape better than blanched asparagus. Thin rosemary stems or chives work if you want green. Push them in just before serving either way, because anything wet softens the cheese around it.
How is this different from the tree cheese ball?
That one is a single cone rolled in chopped herbs, so it reads green and sits flat on the board. This is three balls stacked upright with a face. If you want the herb version, try this christmas tree cheese ball.
What else goes on the table with it?
Something you can pick up without a cracker, because the snowman already owns that job. A rolled bite cuts through all the cheese too. These christmas tortilla pinwheels work well beside it.
