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Herb Crusted Hazelnut Cheese (V/GF)

This Hazelnut Cheese is crusted with crushed Hazelnuts, Rosemary and Basil. It’s deliciously flavorful and, depending on how long you choose to bake it, can be a creamy cheese, a crumbly cheese or a firm and slice-able cheese.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Author Bunny

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup raw hazelnuts
  • 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder or two large garlic cloves
  • 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup finely crushed hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried basil

Instructions

  1. Let hazelnut soak in water for 6 hours. Then, drain water from hazelnuts.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add hazelnuts to a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around and remove as much of the skins as you can.

  3. In a food processor, process hazelnuts together with the remaining ingredients until smooth. You'll have to stop the process to scrape down the sides of the processor/blender a few times. 

  4. Place cheesecloth loosely over a large bowl.

  5. Transfer hazelnut mixture to the cheesecloth allowing the liquid to drain through. Wrap the cloth around the ‘cheese’ and squeeze it to remove any excess moisture.

  6. While squeezing out any moisture, form cheese into a ball shape.

  7. Keep cheese wrapped in cloth and discard the liquid. 

  8. Refrigerate cheese in cloth for at least a few hours (or overnight) to let the flavors marry. 

  9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  10. In a bowl, mix together the crushed hazelnuts and herbs.

  11. Remove cloth from cheese and roll into the hazelnut and rosemary mixture. Transfer cheese to lightly oiled baking sheet.

  12. Bake for 25-40 minutes. The longer you bake it, the firmer the cheese. Baking less will give you a creamy, crumbly cheese.