Easy Cheddar Pinecone Appetizer
Wow your guests and amaze your family with these to-die-for cheese pinecones! They are ridiculously easy to make, yet look like you spent hours creating the fanciest of appetizer plates.
Take one of these to a cocktail party and people will be seriously impressed with your culinary skills. With the addition of aged cheddar, the flavour is elegant and elevated above the ubiquitous nut-encrusted log. Serve the spread at room temperature with plenty of crackers or baguette slices.
It’s all about the cheese!
MacLaren’s Imperial – You may know this as “that cheese in the red tub”. It delivers a powerful sharp cheddar, but is easy enough to mix into this cheese spread. If you can’t find it, you can substitute grated aged orange cheddar. I’ve also seen a similar cheese named “Old Nippy” and you could use that instead.
Balderson’s 3 Yr Old Aged Cheddar Cheese Spread – This is like spreadable cream cheese but with an amazing aged cheddar twist! If you can’t find it, you can substitute grated aged white cheddar.
Cream Cheese – Don’t substitute light cream cheese, or spreadable cream cheese for this! The full fat cream cheese provides structure for the cheese spread.
Easy Cheddar Pinecone Appetizer Variations
As mentioned above, you could substitute both the MacLaren’s and Balderson’s with grated aged cheddar, and it would turn out just as delicious.
Pepper Jack – add spiciness by adding some grated pepper jack cheese
Blue cheese – swap out one of the cheddars for crumbled Gorgonzola or the more mild Cambozola (walnuts would be great with this).
Cayenne pepper – you could also add spiciness by adding a dash of cayenne pepper, hot red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
Swap out almonds for walnuts – It would look less like a pinecone, but it would be just as tasty!
Easy Cheddar Pinecone Appetizer
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet or cookie sheet
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese room temperature
- 1 container MacLaren's Imperial Sharp Cold Pack Cheddar Cheese Product room temperature
- 1 container Balderson's 3 Yr Old Aged Cheddar Cheese Spread room temperature
- 1 tbsp shallots finely diced
- 1 tbsp red bell pepper finely diced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Juice from 1/2 lemon freshly squeezed
- 2 cups natural almonds
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Allow all of the cheese to come to room temperature.
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except almonds, until well blended. Refrigerate for 2 hours until firm.
- Using your hands, mold the cheese mixture into two pinecone shapes and place on a decorative plate. No need to be perfect!
- Cover cheese with layers of almonds, starting at the small end of the “cone”, and working in layers towards the wide end of the “cone”.
- Garnish with rosemary branches. Serve at room temperature with plenty of crackers or baguette slices, and a nice red wine.
Notes
