Halloween Black Cat Cheese Ball Recipe

I created this recipe last Halloween for a recipe contest and posted a picture here, but the recipe remained on the contest website. Unfortunately, I lost to a pumpkin puking out pumpkin dip. Oh, well, that's how it goes sometimes. Anyway, I just loved this recipe and wanted to share it with you. Sorry for the lack of step-by-step images. I didn't take any as I only needed the final picture to enter into the contest.

Black Cat Cheese Ball  (serves 12-18)

Ingredients:

8 oz. softened cream cheese, divided

4 oz. shredded Havarti cheese

4 oz. shredded Gruyere cheese

3 roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and seeds removed

1 small clove of garlic, minced

2 oz. blue corn tortilla chips

1 black olive

crackers

Special Equipment Needed:

food processor

plastic wrap

disposable pastry bag or heavy duty zip top bag

Instructions:

In food processor, combine 7 oz. cream cheese, Havarti cheese, Gruyere cheese, roasted red peppers, and garlic. Pulse until creamy and smooth. You will need 1 heaping teaspoon of this cheese for the cat's nose. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Place the remaining cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to mold the cheese mixture into a flattened ball.

Reserve two whole blue corn tortilla chips for the cat's ears. Place remaining chips in the cleaned food processor bowl and pulse to fine crumbs. Pour onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Set cheese ball round size down  on crumbs. Use the plastic wrap to press the crumbs all over the surface of the cheese ball. Set cheese ball on a serving platter.

Put remaining 1 oz. cream cheese into pastry bag or zip top bag. Snip off the tip of the bag. Pipe three whiskers onto cat's face. Remove the reserved cheese mixture from the refrigerator and mold it into a triangular shape for the nose; place in the middle of the cat's face, on top of the middle of the whiskers.

To create the eyes I suggest you scoop out the crushed tortilla chips and a bit of the cheese ball in two circles above the nose. Pipe cream cheese into these holes. Smooth it out into a nice circle. Cut olive in half and lay on top of the eyes for pupils.

Press the two reserved blue corn tortilla chips into top of head for ears.

Refrigerate until needed. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving with crackers.