Food & Wine USA - (12)December 2019

PICKLED PEPPER CHEESE

BALL

ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 10

MIN; SERVES 10

Stir together 8 oz. softened

cream cheese, 1 cup shred-

ded aged sharp cheddar

cheese, 1 cup shredded mild

cheddar cheese, 1 / 2 cup diced

Provence, 1 / 4 tsp. white pepper,

and a pinch of sea salt in a

medium bowl. Spoon mixture

into a pastry bag fitted with a

star tip. Dollop^1 / 4 tsp. cranberry

or currant jam into each phyllo

cup; pipe cheese mixture on top

of jam in phyllo cups. Garnish

with chive batons and lemon

zest curls.

Smoked almonds
instantly elevate your
cheese ball game with
their savory, flavor-
packed crunch.

pickled Peppadew peppers,

and^1 / 4 tsp. cayenne pepper

in a medium bowl. Form mix-

ture into 2 balls; roll each ball

in a mixture of^3 / 4 cup finely

chopped smoked almonds and

(^1) / 4 cup chopped fresh chives to
coat. Cover with plastic wrap,
and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 1
day. Serve with crackers.

CHEESE CROUSTADES

TOTAL 25 MIN; SERVES 15

Bake 24 store-bought phyllo cups

according to package directions; let

cool on a wire rack. Stir together

8 oz. softened goat cheese, 4 oz.

softened salted European-style

butter, 4 oz. whole-milk ricotta, 1

tsp. lemon zest, 1 / 2 tsp. herbes de

A mixture of goat cheese,

good butter, and ricotta hides

a surprise dollop of tart jam

tucked into prebaked phyllo

cups in this twist on one of

the Lee brothers’ favorite

throwback appetizers.

Pile steamed shrimp

on ice and serve with

cocktail sauce spiked

with gochujang or

extra horseradish.

DECEMBER 2019 103

This three-tier

Litton Lane cake

stand elevates a DIY

shrimp cocktail. ($105,

homedepot.com)