When I make cheese balls three ingredients remain the same, cream cheese, butter, and milk. To that is usually added a cheese (cheddar, jack, swiss...etc.), spices, and fruit and/or nuts. Then it is rolled in some sort of crumb, often chopped nuts.
For a cranberry-tangerine cheese ball I would probably use swiss cheese, or jack cheese, a cherry flavoring [if using swiss] or orange flavoring, dried cranberries (chopped), tangerine zest{more difficult than zesting Oranges}, maybe a little squeezed and well drained tangerine pulp (too wet and the ball turns to mush), and a chopped walnut coating. If this sounds right to you, then we're good.
**Recipe (for any cheese ball):
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup shredded cheese (8 oz. by weight), or more
1/2 tsp flavoring (worcestershire sauce gives a smoky flavor, interestingly)
spices to taste (paprika gives an orange tint)
1/4 cup dried fruit or nut (optional)[or fresh vegetable or herb] to mix with the cheese
Crumb or chopped nut coating[enough to coat the ball]
- mix all ingredients together except coating [if it's dry and crumbly add milk a tsp at a time, if too wet add more shredded cheese]
-shape ball or log and refrigerate it wrapped in wax paper
- after about 1 hour [as it hardens but isn't solidified] unwrap it and roll it in the coating
-wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate over night
-warm cheese ball at room temperature about an hour before serving.{by now it'll be solidified and won't lose it's shape.}
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.