BEST Cheese Ball EVER!!!!!

I made this for a couple holiday parties already this year and I think I’m going to make it again for New Year’s Eve! I was told at each party I brought it to (by different people) that it was the BEST cheese ball they had ever had.  I do agree!

Plus, it’s really quick and easy with tremendously tasty results! AND it’s pretty with festive red cranberries, green from rosemary and a hint of gold from walnuts, which fit in nicely with Thanksgiving and Christmas. For New Year’s Eve,  I’ll  up the shiny gold factor by drizzling it with honey.

It’s simply equal amounts honey goat cheese and cream cheese mixed with dried cranberries and fresh rosemary covered with walnuts.

Here’s how I made it:

Open a block of cream cheese to soften it.  The goat cheese is soft enough as it is. Cut the block of cream cheese in half and mix it with an equal amount of the goat cheese. If you want a more pronounced goat cheese flavor than add more than half of the goat cheese.   It’s personal preference. I think I actually made it ¾ goat cheese to ½ cream cheese.  If you can’t find honey goat cheese, plain is fine. You could also add your own honey. Also, you could finish the plate off by drizzling honey over the ball and plate to hold the dried cranberries and a rosemary sprig in place for an aesthetic touch.

After mixing the cheeses together, I first mix in chopped dried cranberries.

After those are evenly blended, I add chopped rosemary and make sure it is evenly dispersed within the cheese.

Once this is done, I roll it up into a ball and into the walnuts I finely chopped, and plate it.  On the plate, I surround it with whole dried cranberries and a dusting of rosemary.  A rosemary sprig is also a nice addition.  And, as I mentioned above, for  New Years Eve I will drizzle the finished ball with honey to give it a glitzy gold effect  and will also replace the cranberries on the plate with walnuts as they are considered lucky, aren’t they?

And being gold  and glitzy with a little bit of luck thrown in is a great way to start the New Year I think! Don’t you !?!  Happy New Year 2015 everyone!!