Chevin and Cream Cheese Truffles with Melba Toast
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Starters
Description
If you’re looking for a simple, yet impressive, canapé, then look no further. These are seriously simple to make and pack a punch of flavour.
Ingredients
Cheese Balls
300 g Chevin (goat’s cheese)
250 g cream cheese
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Tabasco® sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Coating
100 g dried cranberries, chopped
100 g salted cashew nuts, chopped (you can also use pecans or walnuts)
30 g chives, finely chopped
Melba Toast
1 good quality baguette, thinly sliced
Generous knob of butter
1 big sprig of rosemary, picked and finely chopped
A small handful of chives, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Cheese Balls
Using either a stand mixer or a large bowl with a wooden spoon, mix the Chevin and cream cheese together until smooth.
In a dry frying pan, toast the cumin seeds until they are fragrant and just begin to colour.
Add the Tabasco® sauce and cumin seeds into the cheese mixture and stir to combine season with salt and pepper, ensure you taste and adjust if necessary. Pop the mixture into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Coating
Combine the cranberries, cashews and chives and mix. Spread out evenly onto a large chopping board or tray. Remove the cheese mixture from the fridge and using a tablespoon, portion it out into 25 g blobs. Gently roll the blobs into even balls then roll the balls in the coating. Repeat this process until you’ve got a festive set of truffles. Pop the truffles back into the fridge until needed.
Melba Toast
Preheat the oven to 220 ºC. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat then add the rosemary and chives. Turn the heat off and season to taste.
Spread the baguette slices out onto a large baking tray and brush evenly with the herb butter. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Serve the truffles with crispy melba toast and tuck in.
