Starter American
Pumpkin-shaped cheese ball with mature Cheddar, apricot and pecans
Vegetarian
Editorially prepared
A pumpkin-shaped cheese ball with mature Cheddar, dried apricot, toasted pecans and sweet smoked paprika. Serve without heating on a Halloween meze-style table for everyone to spread onto crackers.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
For a larger batch, make several pumpkins the size of the base recipe rather than one large pumpkin. Each needs its own set of strings and a pepper stalk. Allow at least 3 hours of chilling and extra time for grating, shaping and decorating additional pumpkins.
Substitutions
Substitute amounts are adjusted to your selected servings.
- Instead of pecan nutswalnuts
Use the same weight as the pecans. Toast briefly and cool completely. Walnuts are less sweet and may have a slightly bitter edge.
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Optional ingredients and substitutions
You’ll need
Kitchen scales and measuring spoons · Small frying pan and hob · Plate for cooling the nuts · Fine grater · Chopping board and sharp knife · Mixing bowl and sturdy spoon or spatula · Small lidded container for the coating Cheddar · Cling film · Four lengths of kitchen string and scissors · Small plate for chilling and space in the fridge · Small serving platter and spreading knife
Method
0/7 stepsToast the pecans
Weigh the pecans and set out a plate for cooling. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Add 30 g of pecan nuts and toast for 3–4 minutes from adding them, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned. Reduce the heat if they colour too quickly. Immediately transfer to the plate and spread in a thin layer.
04:00Toast the pecans Cool the nuts
Leave the pecans for about 10 minutes from transferring them to the plate, until completely cool. Meanwhile, start grating the cheese and preparing the apricots in the next step. Check that the nuts are no longer warm before adding them to the mixture; leave them longer if necessary.
10:00Cool the nuts Prepare the cheese and apricots
While the pecans cool, finely grate 150 g of Cheddar for the mixture and, separately, 50 g of Cheddar for coating. Cover and refrigerate the coating cheese. Chop 30 g of dried apricots very finely. Set out the cream cheese, mustard and seasonings.
Prepare the cheese and apricots Mix the cheese mixture
Check that the pecans are completely cool, then chop them finely. In a bowl, beat 200 g of cream cheese with 1 tsp of Dijon mustard and 0.5 tsp of sweet smoked paprika. Add the Cheddar intended for the mixture, the apricots and the pecans. Mix thoroughly and season with black pepper. The mixture should be thick and evenly combined, with the pieces distributed throughout and no lumps of plain cream cheese.
Mix the cheese mixture Shape the pumpkin
Spoon the mixture onto two overlapping sheets of cling film. Use the film to shape it into a compact ball, then flatten the top and base slightly. Wrap tightly. Tie four lengths of string around the ball, each passing over the top and underneath at a different angle. Tighten enough to form eight sections with clear grooves, without cutting through the film. Place on a small plate.
Shape the pumpkin Chill until firm
Put the wrapped pumpkin in the fridge at 4°C or below. Chill for at least 3 hours from placing it in the fridge, until the mixture feels firm through the film and holds its grooves. If it still deforms easily, refrigerate for longer and check every 30 minutes. Leave the string and film on until you are ready to finish it.
3:00:00Chill until firm Coat and serve
Wash and thoroughly dry the pepper stalk. Carefully cut and remove all the strings, then peel away the cling film. Transfer the pumpkin to a small platter. Gently cover it with all the reserved coating Cheddar, pressing the cheese on without filling the grooves. If needed, redefine the grooves with the handle of a teaspoon. Press the stalk into the top. Serve without heating, with a small spreading knife, rye crackers and pepper strips alongside. Remove the stalk before eating.
Coat and serve
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Tips
- Finely chopped apricots and pecans make the mixture easier to spread. Do not grind the nuts into a paste; they should retain some texture.
- The string must sit outside the cling film, never directly against the cheese. Tighten gradually to make grooves without cutting through the film.
- You can leave the shaped pumpkin in the fridge for 12–24 hours instead of the basic 3 hours. This adds 9–21 hours to the total time.
- Press the coating cheese on gently rather than rolling the pumpkin vigorously, so the grooves remain distinct.
Storage
Keep tightly covered in the fridge at 4°C or below and eat within 2 days of preparation, without exceeding the cheeses’ use-by dates. You can shape the pumpkin a day ahead; refrigerate the coating cheddar separately and decorate just before serving. Total time out of the fridge should not exceed 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C. Discard any leftovers that exceed this limit. Freezing is not recommended, as the mixture may become grainy and watery.
Timing
Hands-on: 41 min · Cooking: 4 min · Resting: 3 hr 10 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
