Spice-Crusted Cheese Truffles Recipe

The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices | Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009

Cheese goes well with herbs and spices. Here are several variations of a basic cheese truffle, bite-size treats your guests will love.–Sara Engram and Katie Luber

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes | Makes 18 (1-inch) truffles

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Ingredients

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons finely minced white or yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 teaspoons ground mild chile pepper

Directions

1. Cream together the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, onion, Worcestershire, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Roll the cheese into 1-inch-round truffles. Roll each truffle in the chile pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Variations

Substitute the following cheeses (for the cheddar) and spice (for the chile pepper) to create tasty Spice-Crusted Cheese Truffle variations:
1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese and 5 teaspoons dill weed
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese and 5 teaspoons oregano
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese and 5 teaspoons dried orange zest
1/4 cup crumbled chèvre cheese and 5 teaspoons basil