Igloo Cheese Ball

Prep and Cook

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine one package of cream cheese, the cheddar cheese, the onion and the hot sauce. Pulse until completely combined.
• Line a small bowl (5–6” in diameter) with plastic wrap and scoop the cheese mixture into the bowl smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
• Bring the remaining package of cream cheese to room temperature. Slice off ⅓ of the brick and return it to the fridge. Whisk the remaining ⅔ of the package with the milk until you’re left with a smooth consistency similar to frosting.
• Invert the bowl of cheese onto your serving platter. Using a palette knife or spatula, cover the cheese dome with the cream cheese ‘icing,’ leaving at least 1 tablespoon remaining in the bowl.
• Refrigerate the cheese ball for 1 hour to firm up the cream cheese.
• Using a small spoon, scoop out approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture to create an arched doorway in the side of the cheese dome. Cut the cream cheese that’s been set aside into small blocks and stack them to form a canopy surrounding the door. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, draw brick lines into the cream cheese.
• Cover with plastic wrap and return to the fridge until ready to serve.
• To make the penguin, cut a slit from the top to bottom of the olive on one side only. Insert remaining cream cheese icing into the olive to fill the cavity. Cut the baby carrot into slices using two for the penguin feet. Stack the olive on top of the carrot feet. Slice the other olive in half and cut a notch into the centre of one piece. Insert a small carrot piece into the notch to form the beak. Place the halved olive on top of the large olive and secure with a toothpick.
• Serve the igloo cheese ball with baby carrots and assorted crackers.