Christmas Cheese Board
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr 15 min
- Active: 40 min
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr 15 min
- Active: 40 min
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Cranberry Honey:
Seasoned Puff Pastry Trees:
Herbed Goat Cheese Spread and Topping:
Cheese Board Elements (see Cook’s Note):
Directions
Special equipment:
a piping bag with a medium round tip (optional); a large serving board; a cake stand (optional)- For the cranberry honey: Add the cranberries, honey, salt and orange peel to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the cranberries soften and burst easily when pressed with the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to mash the cranberries. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small serving dish; let cool completely.
- For the seasoned puff pastry trees: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the butter, parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheet and cut it along the perforated lines, creating 3 long rectangles. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll each rectangle into a slightly larger piece, about 9 inches by 4 inches. Cut each rectangle into 4 even triangles (each about 4 inches by 3 inches), with a little trimmed on either side. These will be your trees. Transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet. Brush each triangle liberally with the butter mixture. Cover the baking sheet and triangles with a second piece of parchment, then top with a second baking sheet. This will keep the pastry from puffing too much.
- Bake until the pastry is just starting to cook through and puff, about 30 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and parchment; the pastries should be light golden. Continue to bake until they are dark golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the herbed goat cheese spread and topping: Meanwhile, add the goat cheese, cream cheese, parsley, chives and mint to a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a medium round tip or a resealable plastic bag with a small hole.
- Once the pastries are cool, pipe the herbed goat cheese spread onto each in a snake-like squiggle, starting at the bottom and ending at the top. Top each tree with a piece of apricot for a star and add a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds throughout for ornaments. Arrange the trees on a cake stand for a centerpiece. (If you don’t have a cake stand, invert a cup or jar and place a plate on it. Having a second tier of food on your board creates depth and visual interest and gives you more room for more cheese and snacks.)
- For the cheese board elements: Add the cake stand to the back half of a large serving board and place the cranberry honey to the side. Space the various cheeses evenly across the board, then build in the prosciutto, salamis, grapes, oranges, cornichons, crackers, crisps, flatbreads and fennel quarters in layers around the cheeses. Sprinkle the fennel fronds and pomegranate seeds around the board to mimic winter greenery. Serve at room temperature.
Cook’s Note
The size of these cheeses is just a suggestion. Feel free to buy slightly smaller or larger cheese pieces, depending on your preferences.
