Cranberry Orange Cheese Balls

I could eat 100 of these cranberry orange cheese balls, they are so good. With white cheddar, cranberries, orange zest, thyme, toasted pecans, and maple syrup, they're a sweet, savory, and nutty appetizer. The recipe is easy, has just a handful of ingredients, and comes together in less than 30 minutes for an elegant last-minute party snack. They're perfect for holiday parties like Christmas and New Year's!

Author: Sunday Table1

Meal Type: Chicken

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: HARD

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 28 Cheese Balls

Calories: 39 kcal per serving

Ingredients

Frozen potato wedges
Decaffeinated black tea
Twix Candy
Canned chili beef soup
Pumpkin flowers
Red sour cherries
Canned diced tomato
Italian ice
Chocolate cookie
Reduced sugar jam preserve
Chicken heart

Instructions

Add the cream cheese, sharp white cheddar cheese, maple syrup, orange zest, thyme, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Then, tip in half of the pecans and half of the dried cranberries. (Reserve the remaining pecans and cranberries for later). Use a rubber spatula or hand mixer to mix the ingredients together until it is smooth and combined.
Portion the cranberry orange cheese using a #40 (1 ounce, 2 Tablespoon) cookie scoop. Roll each portion of cheese between your palms to create smooth balls. Place the cheese balls on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
About 15 minutes before serving, remove the cheese balls from the fridge and let them warm up just a bit. Combine the remaining pecans, cranberries, and parsley in a shallow dish or pie plate. Gently roll each cheese ball until the outside is well-coated. If the mixture doesn't stick, use your fingers to gently press the coating on the outside of the cheese balls.
Place the prepared cheese balls on a platter. Serve with crackers, pretzels, fruit, vegetables, or other snacks. Enjoy!

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