Almond-Cheddar Ball - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, at room temperature
1 large (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 c. finely chopped sweet pickle
2 Tbsp. each: dry sherry and mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
dash of cayenne pepper
3/4 c. coarsely chopped almonds
assorted crackers

Preparation

Beat Cheddar cheese and cream cheese together until smoothly blended.
Add pickle, sherry, mayonnaise, mustard and pepper; mix well.
Cover and chill until firm enough to handle.
Spread the nuts in a shallow baking pan and toast in a 350\u00b0 oven for 8 minutes or until evenly browned.
Divide cheese mixture in half; shape each into a ball.
Wrap airtight and refrigerate as long as 2 weeks. Before serving, roll in almonds to coat evenly and let stand at room temperature about half an hour.
Serve with crackers.
Makes 2 balls, each about 4 inches in diameter.