How to Make a Christmas Tree Shaped Cheese Ball -Tutorial

Seasonal treats are truly the best and are worth the little extra time it takes to make them special. While I've added a recipe (or use your favorite), this post is really about playing with your food a little bit:@) As mentioned in a previous post, cheese balls are perfect party food, they're great nibblers and travel well. Let's give them some holiday flair by shaping them into a Christmas tree!

How to make a Christmas tree shaped ham and cheese ball:

Place about 1" of wax paper under the cheese ball on each side, tape the wax paper to the counter so it doesn't move when you start piping the cheese. This makes clean up easier as you can slide the wax paper from under the tree and the plate stays nicer.

Put half of the cheese mixture into a disposable icing bag and cut about 1/2" hole in the tip of the bag.

Make a first pass, shaping a tree by moving the icing bag back and forth. (This also makes a quick icing decoration on top of cupcakes or a cake using an icing tip in the bag.)

Fill the bag with the rest of the mixture and make a second and third pass, each one closer to the center of the tree. Fill in any empty spots with a dot of mixture.

Cover the tree with parsley, gently press it into the cream cheese, be sure to cover the sides too. Once the tree is covered carefully slide the wax paper out one piece at a time. You'll probably need to hold the side of a knife against the cheese to keep it in place because it will want to stick a bit to the paper. 

Finish decorating the tree with bell pepper decorations. I used cookie cutters to cut the shapes out.

Brush any stray parsley off of the plate and serve. Easy and cute!

Leftovers? Cream cheese spread is good on a bagel the next morning or could be added to mac and cheese.

Ham and Cheese Ball
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz cheddar, shredded
3-4 oz ham, diced
1 Tblsp onion, finely minced
1 Tblsp bell pepper, red and/or green, finely minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
fresh parsley, finely minced, enough to cover cheese ball
bell peppers cut into ornament shapes for decorations
Assorted crackers, bagel chips and veggies for serving
~Mix first six ingredients, roll into ball (or shape into Christmas tree), cover in parsley and chill until ready to serve.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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