Spiced-Cherry Cheese Ball

(13)

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photo by:kraft

Loved the fruit and cheese flavors. Goes well with Ritz. This would make a great gift.

posted by

cassandra1974

on 1/1/2012

time

prep:

15 min

total:

2 hr 15 min

servings

total:

24 servings, 2 Tbsp. spread and 5 crackers each

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What You Need

pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread, softened

pkg. (8 oz.) CRACKER BARREL Shredded Vermont Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

1/2

cup dried cherries, chopped

1/4

tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2

cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans, toasted

RITZ Crackers

Make It

MIX cream cheese and Cheddar until blended. Stir in cherries and spice.

SHAPE into log; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

ROLL in nuts just before serving. Serve with crackers.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Size-Wise

Savor every bite of this tasty spread. Each 2-Tbsp. serving goes a long way on flavor.

Variations

Prepare as directed, using one of the following flavor options: Italian: Substitute 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for the Cheddar, 1/4 cup sliced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for the cherries and 1/2 tsp. each Italian seasoning and garlic powder for the pumpkin pie spice. Smoky Bacon: Omit pumpkin pie spice. Mix ingredients as directed, substituting 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese for the shredded CRACKER BARREL Cheese and 2 Tbsp. OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits for the cherries. Stir in 2 sliced green onions, then shape into ball. Herbed: Omit pumpkin pie spice. Prepare as directed, substituting 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for the Cheddar and 1 clove minced garlic and 2 Tbsp. each chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil and chives for the cherries.

How to Wrap for Gift-Giving

Place cheese ball and knife on decorative platter or cutting board. Wrap with colorful cellophane and ribbon. After serving the cheese ball at the holiday party, the hostess will have a lovely gift to remember the occasion by!

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cassandra1974

posted:1/1/2012

Loved the fruit and cheese flavors. Goes well with Ritz. This would make a great gift.

a cook

posted:12/11/2011

I love this recipe and make it every year. I grate the cheese, and usually only use 1/2 to 3/4 of the block (it's creamier/easier to cut that way.) If you can't find dried cherries in your grocery store- craisins are a decent substitute.

bebeo01

posted:12/26/2009

Everyone who tries this loves it and asks for the recipe. Best if allowed to come up to room temperature before serving. Delicious!

mrsdonutz

posted:11/27/2009

Everyone loved it! It's a keeper!

jojolyn746

posted:10/4/2009

Love this. Cherries make this recipe unique.

Hummel97

posted:12/4/2007

It was just OK. Needs more flavor.

nikolee2

posted:11/23/2007

This was a hit with some and not with others. I shredded the cheese very fine and used cheery flavored crasins because I couldn't find cherries. It was gone by the end of the night.

hjbcwray2000

posted:11/20/2007

My husband and I made this for Thanksgiving and were not very happy with the cheeseball. Using shredded cheese adds an odd texture and the flavor was not that great. We used the Herb variation that is listed at the end. I may be willing to try this again using a different version.

kboykins

posted:12/13/2006

Recipe is good. Very easy to make. I liked a little bit more spice in mine so I added 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tsp of cayenne pepper, and 1 TSP of Honey. Also, I used almonds rather than pecans and glazed them in the oven with brown sugar and salt

marcialeen

posted:11/24/2006

Definately a hit! We liked it very much, it was completely gone before the turkey was ready at a Thanksgiving dinner!!