Try this Salami Cream Cheese Ball recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 12.2403016666667 g
- Cholesterol 150.066 mg
- Fat 58.4747433333333 g
- Fiber 0.00441666666666667 g
- Protein 33.266725 g
- Saturated Fat 30.0025033333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (290g)
- Sodium 1133.27833333333 mg
- Sugar 12.235885 g
- Trans Fat 2.92532333333333 g
- Calories 704 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and blend until evenly mixed.
- Pour cheese ball onto a sheet of plastic wrap and place another sheet of plastic wrap on top.
- Form the cheese into a ball (or whatever shape you want), and then chill for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Serve with butter crackers and fresh cut veggies!
How far ahead can this spread be assembled without weeping moisture onto the platter? Softened cream cheese relies on an emulsion of dairy fats and water droplets that easily destabilizes if overworked at high speeds, meaning that using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer at medium-low speed for precisely two minutes prevents the fats from breaking and separating into an oily sheen. Chilling the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes firms up the saturated milk fats just enough to hold structural integrity without freezing the interior solid.
Ingredient Substitutions and Fat Ratios
Swapping the hard salami for a leaner cured meat alters the fat-to-protein ratio significantly, requiring careful adjustment because leaner proteins release less rendering fat to lubricate the dense cheese matrix. Cheddar cheese contains roughly 33 percent fat, whereas lower-fat cheese alternatives introduce excess moisture that thins the spread below a workable consistency. If substituting mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for the three tablespoons called for in the formulation, expect a tangier flavor profile and a softer final viscosity because yogurt possesses higher water activity and lower emulsifying power than oil-based condiments. Hard salami varieties like cervelat supply distinct curing spices and dense proteins that absorb ambient moisture from the surrounding dairy during the chilling window.
- Mixtures appearing too soft after blending require an additional 15 minutes in the refrigerator to let the saturated fats solidify.
- Parchment paper dusted with cornstarch can substitute for plastic wrap if working without polymeric films.
- Over-mixing turns the dairy warm and greasy, which ruins the required spherical shape.
