Can I make the tree in advance?

You can coat the tree the day before you want to serve it, or, shape the cheese tree up to a week before you want to serve it, then just coat in the topping before serving.

What other dried fruit could I use?

You can play around based on what you like - dried mangoes, apples or figs would be great, or raisins or sultanas.

10 Minute Christmas Tree Cheese Ball

Name: 10 Minute Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 2 boxes of Boursin cheese (10.5oz/300g); 1 tablespoon pistachios, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon dried cranberries, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon dried apricots, finely chopped; 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped; 2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped; Mozzarella or Gruyere, for the cheese star topper

Description

Turn your retro favourite cheese ball into a Christmas tree, in 10 minutes. Just form Boursin cheese into a cone, roll in a lovely mix of festive goodies and serve with pita chips, crackers or fluffy focaccia for a wonderfully festive twist on a classic.

Ingredients

Scale

2 boxes of Boursin cheese (10.5oz/300g)
1 tablespoon pistachios, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried apricots, finely chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
Mozzarella or Gruyere, for the cheese star topper

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Instructions

Form the cheese cone. Lay out a piece of clingfilm on a flat surface, then place the Boursin cheese on top of each other, in the middle of it. Wrap the cheese in the clingfilm tightly, then use your hands to shape it into a cone. Place into the fridge while you prepare the decorations – this will make it easier to roll the cheese in them.
Mix the decorations. Add the chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, dried apricots, sundried tomatoes and rosemary to a large plate, and mix to combine. Spread it onto a single layer. Use a small star cookie cutter to cut a star from your Gruyere or mozzarella to top the tree with.
Coat the tree. Get the cheese cone from the fridge and unwrap it. Roll it in the decorations on the plate, pressing them into all sides so it’s well coated. Stand it up, then fill in any gaps with any remaining decorations on the plate. Press the cheese star into the top of the tree, then transfer it to a serving plate, and enjoy with your favourite crackers (I love pita chips) or bread (try it with chill cheese focaccia).

Notes

PREP AHEAD: You can coat the cheese ball tree the day before you want to serve it, then just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes if possible before serving, for the best texture. You can also form the cheese cone, then store it in the fridge for a week before you want to coat the tree and serve.

CAN’T FIND BOURSIN? Use flavoured cream cheese, regular cream cheese or goat’s cheese (or mix the two).

SUBSTITUTIONS: You can play around with the topping decorations, based on what you like best. Swap dried cranberries and apricots for dried figs, mangoes, apples or raisins, swap sundried tomatoes for olives or use pecans, walnuts, almonds or cashews instead of pistachios. For a nut-free version that still has a festive touch, use pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Use thyme, oregano, flat-leaf parsley or sage instead of rosemary.If I have pomegranate seeds to hand, I like to stick them around the tree once I’ve coated it, for an extra festive touch.

Prep Time: 10
Category: app
Method: no cook
Cuisine: american

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3 tablespoons