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.
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:
Cheesy Things
- the briny – Smoky Beans n’ Greens Enchiladas with Roasted Sweet Potato and Sunflower Seed Cheese
- Half Baked Harvest – Greek Falafel Melts
- Just Putzing Around the Kitchen – Cheesy Fried Spinach & Artichoke Bites
- My Natural Kitchen – Brazilian Cheesy Thyme Popovers
- Vanilla And Bean – Almond-Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Gruyere
- Fix Feast Flair – Mixed Greens Salad with Lilikoi Vinaigrette, Honey Macadamia Nuts, and Goat Cheese
- FoodieCrush – Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread
- Foodness Gracious – Avocado Feta Bowl with Couscous Grilled Chicken and Charred Corn
- Will Frolic for Food – Vegan Walnut Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
- Vegetarian ‘Ventures – Pimento Mac & Cheese Bites
- MJ and Hungryman – Cheese Stuffed Kimchi Pancakes
- Savory Simple – Cheddar Chive Crackers
Sweet Things
- the pig + quill – Mini Vegan PB+J Cheesecakes
- The Kitchen McCabe – Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes + Honeyed Chevre Whipped Cream
- The Little Epicurean – Matcha Mochi Waffles Sundae
- Shared Appetite – Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse
- The Pancake Princess – Vegan Aquafaba Lemon Meringue Pie
- The Food Charlatan – Lemon Bars {gluten-free}
- Kale & Caramel – Spiced Caramel Chocolate Nut Clusters
Cheesy & Sweet Things
- The Bojon Gourmet – Blood Orange & Corn Flour Ricotta Cake with Whipped Mascarpone {gluten-free}
- HonestlyYUM – Sweet Cheese Puffs (for a Sweet Cheese Baby)
- fit for the soul – Queso Mais Ice cream {No-Churn}
- Completely Delicious – Chocolate Orange Ricotta Scones
- Good on Paper Design – Citrus Ricotta Mini Cakes {gluten-free}
- Floating Kitchen – No-Bake Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Layer {gluten-free}
- Hungry Girl por Vida – Gluten-Free Pretzel Goat Cheesecake Bites
- Heartbeet Kitchen – Roasted Citrus Bowls with Honey Mascarpone
- Salted Plains – Pavlova with Mascarpone Coconut Cream and Candied Citrus
- The Kitchen Paper – Candied Citrus Ricotta Cake
- le jus d’orange – White Cheddar and Apple Mini Pies with Cinnamon-Infused Honey
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?)
Japanese-Spiced Goat Cheese Ball with Pistachios
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 15
- Category: gluten free, appetizer
Ingredients
Cheese Ball Filling
- 8 oz (225g) goat cheese, softened at room temperature
- 8 oz (225g) neufchâtel cheese (or low-fat cream cheese), softened at room temperature
- 1 1/2 TBS chopped chives
- 3 TBS furikake (seaweed rice seasoning)
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice)
- pinch of salt, if necessary
Pistachio Crust
- 2/3 cup (90g) shelled roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1 TBS black sesame seeds
- 1 TBS furikake
Instructions
- Mix the goat cheese and neufchâtel cheese in a bowl. Stir in chives, furikake, sesame seeds, and shichimi togarashi. Use 1/4 teaspoon of the shichimi togarashi if you want only a faint trace of heat in the cheese. I used 1/2 teaspoon. Add a pinch of salt, if you like. Scrape cheese onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Wrap cheese ball tightly and refrigerate for an hour.
- Mix chopped pistachios, sesame seeds and furikake on a plate. Roll chilled cheese ball on the chopped nuts. Sprinkle more chives and shichimi togarashi on the cheese ball, if you like. Use leftover chopped pistachios for your salad or soup.
- Serve immediately. Store leftover cheese in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. They’re always on hand in my pantry.
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How fun the two of you got together to make Macaroons! Getting to chat over dinner must have been a blast. One of the best things about blogging is meeting your blogging friends! This cheeseball is perfection, Lisa, although I’ve never tried furikake, I imagine it is delicious and is bold with umami. Gorgeous presentation. I’d devour it!
Thanks, Traci! Hope we can get together one day!
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Aww I love Sarah’s hashtag that she created! Awesome photos friend!
Thanks, Beth!!
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WOWOWOW. Just when I think the recipes can’t get any more awesome…a Japanese-spiced goat cheese ball!??! I HEART FURIKAKE SO MUCH IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY. I love this; it is for sure going on my shortlist for entertaining the next group of people I have over! I also LOVE your photography (how do you edit your photos?! Do you use filters or is this just your insane natural talent?) and your “master my mistakes cooking notes”–I have a feeling they’re going to come in super handy when I try making this. So much love for you, this and Sarah!!
Thank you SO much, Erika!! Your kind words mean a lot to me! Sometimes, I use filters (especially when I want those dramatic shadow-intense photos). Other times, (especially for my brighter photos) I’ll just play around with the settings in Lightroom. Black foam boards are also my friend! Thanks again!
I think you should stick with “Creative Cheese Officer” for Sarah’s title. Can I be the cheesy underling? or maybe Captain Sharp Cheddar? General Goat Cheese? okay this is going nowhere, I’m embarrassing myself. LOOOOVE this cheese ball Lisa!!
Hahahah, OMG, I LOVE Captain Sharp Cheddar (Cap’n Sharp for short). Thank you soo much, Karen!
Yay for this amazing baby shower, and your gorgeous cheeseball. I think it might be the savory snack I would take a bite of first. I remember when you visited Sarah last year, and that’s actually how I stumbled about your blog. Truth: great people introduce us to other great people. xo
Yes, indeed! I’m so glad to be able to get to know other food bloggers through mutual blogger friends. Thank you so much, Amanda!
Drooling for real. This sounds soooo good!
Thanks, Tati!
Wow! This looks amazing!
Thanks, Taylor!
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Omg – I forgot about Criss Cross Applesauce (I still don’t remember HOW it came up though haha). Japanese inspired goat cheese ball?! This is the stuff my cheesy dreams are made of. I must make this ASAP. Also – I feel so honored to take the title of Creative Cheese Officer (I hope it means I get to eat cheese for every meal:). Thank you so much for making such a creative and delicious recipe in honor of #cheesebabygirl!! (Come back and visit again soon?)
Haha, I have NO clue why we were talking about Criss Cross Applesauce either. I’m soo glad you like this, my friend! Yes, we need to set up another playdate!
OMG Lisa…this is the most gorgeous, delicious looking cheese ball in all the land!! Thanks for taking part in Sarah’s special day. Cheese Appreciation Society, here we come!!
Thank you and Alanna for putting everything together! It was a lot of fun!
Damn girl. It ain’t easy to make a cheese ball look sexy. But you’ve gone and done it. Bravo, friend! Love the spices in here. And so happy for Sarah. Yeah!
Haha! Best comment, ever!
Dear Lisa, I made my first cheese ball a couple of weeks ago for a New Year’s party and it has quickly become one of my favorite appetizers. I love the bold flavors in this cheese ball. Pinning for later! xo, Catherine
Yes, I love how easy the cheese ball comes together, too! So glad you like it!
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Great party recipe idea! Pinning.
★★★★★
Thanks, Natasha!
#cheesebabyshower. . . I love this!!! Sarah really got THE SPREAD for her shower!! Wow, love it all and especially this goat cheese ball. . dang, delicious!!!!
Thanks, Alice!!
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