The holidays can be a busy time so it is nice to have some quick and easy recipes under your belt. This Herb & Hazelnut Cheese Log is a take on the classic Cheese Ball. This log is much easier to slice and holds more delicious hazelnuts and herbs on the outside!
Servings: 8-10
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 250 gram package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, cheddar, 1/4 cup of chives, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 cup hazelnuts tablespoons of the toasted pecans, cayenne pepper and lemon zest. Use a spatula to mix everything until combined.
Scoop the cheese mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a log shape. Place the cheese log into the freezer for 15 minutes for the cheese to firm up slightly.
Sprinkle the remaining chives, parsley and hazelnuts onto a large dinner plate. Unwrap the cheese log from the plastic wrap and roll it in the herb and hazelnut mixture until fully coated. To get the mixture to stick to the outside, gently press the mixture into the cheese log as you roll it.
You can serve this immediately with crackers or toasted baguette. Alternatively, you can prepare this up to three days in advance and keep it wrapped up in plastic wrap in the fridge- just remember to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving to let the cheese soften up.
Enjoy!
