Date & Blue Cheese Ball

Ingredients

• 1 cup cheese blue crumbled at room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese low-fat (bar style at room temperature
• 6 servings roasted-garlic bagel chips 
• 2 tbsp parsley fresh minced
• 1 tsp lemon zest grated
• 1 tbsp buttermilk reduced-fat
• 3 tbsp medjool dates minced pitted (5 to 6 dates)
• 0.3 tsp pepper freshly ground
• 0.3 tsp sea salt 
• 1 tbsp shallots minced
• 2.5 tbsp walnuts toasted finely chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• plastic wrap
• stand mixer

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, blue cheese, and buttermilk on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the dates, shallots, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and beat until well combined.
3. Transfer the cheese mixture to a large sheet of plastic wrap/cling film and form it into a ball. Wrap the ball in the wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together the parsley and walnuts.
5. Remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator. With the wrap/film still on, shape into a well-formed ball. Unwrap the cheese mixture and roll it gently in the nut mixture until all sides are well covered.
6. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. The cheese ball can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
8. Serving size: 2 tbsp
9. Calories 59; Fat 3.9 g (sat 2.1 g, mono 1.0 g, poly 0.4 g); Protein 2 g; Carb 4 g; Fiber 0 g; Chol 10 mg; Iron 0.1 mg; Sodium 109 mg; Calc 41 mg
10. Skinny Dips
11. From Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan. Text copyright © 2010 by Diane Morgan; photographs copyright © 2010 by Sheri Giblin. Published by Chronicle Books LLC.