Japanese-Spiced Goat Cheese Ball with Pistachios

Here’s the deal. I’m starting a cheese lovers’ club, and you’re all invited. It was supposed to be called a cheese appreciation society, but that sounded too high-brow, too much of a pinky-in-the-air kind of a thing. We all know that we get down and dirty with cheese over here.

Japanese-Spiced Goat Cheese Ball - an easy, gluten-free party appetizer. It's filled with Japanese spices and covered in toasted pistachios! by Lisa Lin of healthynibblesandbits.com

She doesn’t know this yet, but I’ve already named my talented friend, Sarah, the Creative Cheese Officer (I swear I’ll come up with a better title later.) She’s a miracle worker with all the cheesy and gluten-free things. Just take a look at her seeded cheddar Brazilian cheese bread and her almost no-bake pumpkin cheesecake mousse. Scrumcheesylicious.

And guess what, you all came just in time to help welcome a new member to the cheese club: Sarah and Lucas’s #cheesebabygirl! (Okay, so maybe she’s not due until next month, but I’m already making #cheesebabygirl part of the club.)

To celebrate, a huge group of bloggers and I are getting together for a cheese and sweets soirée, the #cheesebabyshower. I hope you came with an empty stomach because you’re going to want to snag a bite of all the dishes we’re bringing to the party!

When I visited Sarah last year to make macarons, she and Lucas were so sweet and took me out for dinner at one of their favorite Japanese spots! (Seriously, guys, what did I do to deserve that?!) Besides the good food and company, I still remember my first Ici ice cream and being educated about criss-cross applesauce. Fun times.

Inspired by our Japanese feast, I’m bringing a Japanese-spiced cheese ball to the #cheesebabyshower. I’ve added a ton of furikake to the inside and outside of the cheeseball. You’ll also find a tiny hint of spice from the shichimi togarashi—not enough to light your throat on fire but enough to make you wonder what you just tasted. Friends, I actually could not stop dipping into this cheese ball as I was shooting photos of it. My family couldn’t help themselves either.

I hope you’re ready to eat because here’s a feast of cheese and sweet eats coming right at you:

MASTER MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES

Pistachios: For this recipe, I used roasted, unsalted pistachios and shucked them out of the shell, one by one. It was tedious. My fingers hated it. But it was worth it. The nuts tasted and looked much better than the raw pistachios I find in bulk bins or the toasted shelled pistachios I get at Trader Joe’s. Of course, if you are pressed for time, just use shelled pistachios.
Furikake: There are some varieties of furikake that are not gluten free. Be sure to check the labels! Generally, nori komi furikake is a good bet for being gluten free.
Softening Cream Cheese: First of all, you’re better off mixing the cheese with a wooden spoon than using you food processor. Cleaning the food processor after it’s been caked with creamy cheese is no fun. If you’re mixing the cheese by hand, try using softened cheese at room temperature. I cut the cheese into small chunks and left it on my counter for an hour to soften it.
Gluten-Free Crackers: The crackers that you see in the photos are Mary’s Gone Crackers’ original crackers. I just happened to pick these up before shooting the photos, and I thought they tasted awesome!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes by leaving a comment or sending me a message! Or take a photo of the food and tag me on Instagram so that I can give you a fist bump. I love seeing your creations!

P.S. For all inquiries about the cheese lovers’ club, reach us at 1-800-CHEESE-4-U. (Kidding! But wouldn’t it be awesome if that was a real number?)

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Servings: 15

Author: Lisa Lin