Description
These 3-Ingredient Holiday Cheese Truffles are a festive, elegant appetizer featuring creamy herbed cheese rolled in crunchy pistachios and sweet dried cranberries. Perfect for holiday gatherings, they are easy to make and impress with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 2 ramekins (13 ounces total) Alouette Garlic & Herbs Soft Spreadable Cheese (or substitute herbed cream cheese or herbed goat cheese)
Coating
- ⅓ cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Optional Garnish
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Cheese Balls: Line a large plate with parchment paper. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop (or 2 tablespoons), scoop out balls of cheese and place them on the prepared plate. Repeat until all the cheese is used. Place the plate in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm the cheese balls, making them easier to roll.
- Prepare Coating Plates: Spread the finely chopped pistachios on one small plate or shallow bowl and the finely chopped dried cranberries on another, creating two separate coating stations.
- Roll Cheese Balls: Remove the cheese balls from the freezer. With clean hands, gently roll each ball to ensure they are smooth and round. Then roll half of the cheese balls in the chopped pistachios and the other half in the chopped dried cranberries, coating them completely.
- Serve and Garnish: Arrange the truffles on a serving platter. Optionally, garnish the rim of the platter with fresh rosemary sprigs to add a festive touch. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Use good quality herbed cheese for best flavor.
- Chilling the cheese balls before rolling helps maintain their shape and makes them easier to coat.
- Finely chopping the pistachios and cranberries helps them stick better to the cheese.
- Can be prepared a few hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- For a nut-free version, substitute pistachios with finely chopped seeds or omit them entirely.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: holiday appetizers, cheese truffles, easy party snacks, herbed cheese, pistachios, cranberries
