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Dill pickle cheese ball with a walnut coating
A chilled cream-cheese and cheddar ball with finely chopped pickles, rolled in walnuts and dill for a spreadable snack.
In this guide5 sections
Chill before trying to shape it
The easiest way to make a cheese ball frustrating is to shape it while the cream cheese is warm. Mix first, chill, then use the wrapping to bring it together. We keep the pickle pieces small and dry so the ball has flavour without becoming a slippery mixture that will not hold its shape.
Yield: 8 snack servings. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 0 minutes. Chill time: 1 hour. This is a spreadable cheese ball, not a firm cheese for slicing. Put a small spreading knife beside it so guests can take a portion instead of breaking a cracker in the coating.
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) full-fat cream cheese
- 100 g (3½ oz) mature cheddar, finely grated
- 100 g (3½ oz) drained dill pickles
- 60 g (2 oz) shelled walnuts, finely chopped
- 15 g fresh dill, chopped, divided
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
- Let the cream cheese soften just enough to stir, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the pickles finely and blot them very thoroughly. Wash and dry the dill and spring onion before chopping.
- Beat the cream cheese with the garlic granules and black pepper until smooth. Stir in the grated cheddar, pickles, spring onion and two-thirds of the dill, scraping the bottom of the bowl.
Scrape the bowl so cheddar, pickles and herbs are mixed through the cream cheese. - Spoon the mixture onto a piece of food-safe wrap. Gather the edges to make a rounded mound, twist loosely and refrigerate for 1 hour. The wrapping should support the mixture rather than squeeze liquid out of it.
Gather the wrap loosely around the mound to support its shape. - Spread the finely chopped walnuts and remaining dill over a plate. Unwrap the chilled cheese mixture and roll gently through the coating, using clean hands to press loose pieces onto any bare areas.
Roll gently and press walnut pieces onto any bare patches. - Transfer to a small serving plate and keep refrigerated until needed. Serve with a spreading knife; return the unused portion to the fridge promptly rather than leaving the whole ball on the table all evening.
A coating that is easy to spread through
Chop the walnuts into small pieces rather than leaving large halves. A thick, uneven shell can pull off in a slab when somebody tries to take a spoonful. The coating should add crunch while letting the soft cheese underneath spread onto its accompaniment.
If the mixture remains very soft after chilling, serve it in a small bowl with the walnut-dill mixture sprinkled over the top. You still have the intended flavours without spending more time wrestling it into a shape. Avoid adding extra dry ingredients merely to force a ball.
For a quicker option, make the simpler bowl of dill pickle dip. Browse other pickle snacks for sharing when planning the rest of the table.
Keep the next portion cold
Keep covered in the fridge and use within two days. Tell guests that the coating contains walnuts, and follow any shorter storage date on the soft cheese.
Keep cold during storage and serving; see the recipe library’s storage guidance.
Keep the jar open
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