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Pine Cone Cheese Ball

Any cheese ball is a welcome addition to a holiday party spread, but when you bring one that looks like a pine cone, you're talking about a real showstopper.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Italian
Servings 16 people
Calories 2769 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Sturdy Spatula or Spoon For thorough mixing
  • 1 Serving Platter
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Chef's knife For chopping herbs and garlic

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
  • 4 ounces goat cheese softened
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • ½ clove garlic minced, or more to taste
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper or to taste
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup whole almonds or as needed
  • 3 large fresh rosemary sprigs

Instructions
 

  • Stir cream cheese, goat cheese, parsley, tarragon, thyme, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until smooth and well-mixed.
  • Turn cheese mixture out onto a serving platter and form into a tapered oval shape to resemble a pine cone.
  • Starting at the tapered end, press almonds into the cheese cone so that the tip of the almond is facing out and down, and cheese cone is completely covered with almonds and resembles a pine cone. Place rosemary sprigs at the top to resemble pine needles. Chef John

Notes

Ensure both cream cheese and goat cheese are fully at room temperature for a truly smooth, lump-free mixture. This also makes the shaping process significantly easier. When shaping, chilling the cheese ball for 30 minutes after its initial form can help it hold its structure better before adding the almonds. For enhanced flavor, consider finely grating a touch of lemon zest into the cheese mixture, which will brighten the overall profile. To achieve a more realistic 'pine cone' effect, arrange the almonds in slightly overlapping rows, starting from the wider base and working towards the tapered top. Add the rosemary sprigs just before serving for the freshest look. This dish can be prepared a day in advance (without the almonds) and refrigerated; add the almonds and rosemary an hour or two before serving.