Deliciously sweet and smoky spiced bite-size cheese balls that are perfect for parties. These require just a short amount of active time, but remember to allow your self 2 hours (included in the prep time) for chilling. These can be made a day ahead.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red onions, very finely diced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 (8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese, softened
1¼ cups sharp white cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons raspberry preserves
3 tablespoons Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
6 ounces chopped pecans
Instructions
In a medium skillet heat the oil. Add the onions and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, fragrant, and caramel-colored (about 5 minutes).
In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese, caramelized onions, shredded cheddar, raspberry preserves, and Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Cover the cream cheese mixture tightly with plastic wrap (so the plastic touches the cream cheese and seals out the air) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Scatter the chopped pecans in a shallow dish and then, working 1 tablespoon at a time, roll each portion in the pecans until they aren't sticky. Repeat until you are done. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Alternately you can make one big cheese ball by rolling the entire mixture in the pecans all at once and then refrigerating until it firms up a little.
Recipe by Sugar Dish Me at https://www.sugardishme.com/raspberry-chipotle-cheese-balls/