Deathly Hallows Cheese Board.

Name: Deathly Hallows Cheese Board.
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 2 ounces cream cheese (cold); 8 ounces gorgonzola cheese (crumbled); 1 tablespoon fresh sage (chopped); 4 cloves roasted garlic (optional); 2 tablespoons fig preserves; 1/3 cup roasted pistachios (chopped); salt + pepper (to taste); poppy seeds (for coating the hat); pomegranate arils (for the rim of the hat); 1 pound bocconcini; 1 (8 ounce) jar green martini olives (drained); 2 sprigs fresh thyme + rosemary; 2 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped); salt + pepper (to taste); pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; olive oil (enough to cover the cheese); 1 (11 ounce) bag caramel bits; 2 tablespoons heavy cream or water; 5-6 honeycrisp or granny smith apples; 2 cups crushed cheddar cheese cracker crumbs; 16 Ritz Crackers; 8 tablespoons creamy peanut butter; 24 mini pretzel sticks; 8 squares sharp cheddar cheese; 2 tablespoons butter (melted); black lava salt (or poppy seeds, for sprinkling); 16 dried cranberries; 1 (8 ounce) wheel brie; 3/4 cup pomegranate or cranberry juice; 1/2 cup honey

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October 14, 2015

Posted in Appetizers, Snacks

Sooo, I kind of had some fun with Halloween this year.

Deathly Hallows Cheese Board | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

I mean, as if you couldn’t tell.

Feast your eyes on this cheese board. I will not lie, I am excited about it. Heck, even my mom is excited about it. I showed her the photos and I think they may be some of her favorites. But while she loved the photos, I do think that both of us loved the pomegranate baked brie even more…but it’s brie, so that’s kind of a given.

This cheese board, or really cheese table/spread, is full of all of my favorite things. Cheese, pomegranates, apples, figs, cheese, carbs, peanut butter, cheese… AND it’s kind spooky…but you know, in a fun way!!

I have this pet peeve with savory Halloween foods. You see, some of them kind of gross me out a bit. Like I really do not want to eat a meatloaf that looks like a brain. Not today. Not on Halloween. Not anytime.

I know some people find stuff like that really cool, but as far as creepy food goes, I like to keep them pretty PG rated, and well, still semi normal looking, cause otherwise I lose my appetite. I know, call me a BABY.

But guys, look what I made. None of it is gross looking, yet it still gives off that Halloween feel…you know? Ok, probably not, I realize that I sound like a crazy person, but if you were in my head, you would get it.

Oh, but don’t try to get in my head, because you will only drive yourself insane. <–truth.

Anyway, I do not even know where to begin with this board.

I guess I should maybe explain the name first. Basically, I love Harry Potter and I just wanted to call this the Deathly Hallows Cheese Board. I figured the twigs kind of made it seem foresty, so I just rolled with it.

OKAY, but on to the cheese…the important stuff, right?

There is a Bloody Pomegranate Baked Brie, a Fig and Gorgonzola Cheese Witch’s Hat, Cheddar Cracker Caramel Apples (I swear, they are good), Peanut Butter and Cheddar Black Spiders, Marinated Mozzarella + Green Olive “Eyeballs” and Vampire Apple Teeth…plus all the usual cheese board suspects, like black grapes, figs and prosciutto.

Oh, and I even attempted to make sweet potato “Pumpkin Chips”, but that didn’t really work out so well. So I just made sweet potato chips. Hey, at least they’re still orange, that’s pretty festive right?!?

If you are entertaining this Halloween, you HAVE to make this spread. Like, you HAVE too.

You will for sure impress everyone attending, and I’m also pretty confident that you will feel pretty proud of yourself in the end too. I know this looks like a lot of work and yes, it will take a couple of hours to prep (if you make everything), but it’s worth it. So worth it… and SO fun!

And delicious, I mean hello, do you see that brie?

Nothing is hard to put together, I included a lot of different, fairly simple cheese ideas. That cute witch’s hat does need some chill time in the fridge, but I promise, you guys can do this! Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you off. You need these apps in your life this Halloween. YOU DO.

If you don’t have time to make everything, that’s totally fine too. You can simply make your favorites. I highly recommend the brie though. The brie is just too good to pass up and it’s beyond easy to make, just four simple ingredients. I also especially love the witch hat and the black spiders. The witch hat is a mix of cream cheese, gorgonzola cheese, a little roasted garlic (only if you are into that though), fig preserves (SO MUCH YUM) and salted pistachios. It’s incredibly good. Especially served with pretzels, and umm I may have been eating the leftover cheese on toasted bagels for lunch. <–do this with the leftovers. It’s the BEST.

The black spiders are also so yummy though (step-by-step shots below the recipe). These are made of Ritz Crackers, peanut butter, sharp cheddar cheese, pretzels, a little butter + a little black lava salt (I ordered mine on Amazon, but you can also just use poppy seeds or black sesame seeds) and cranberries for the eyes. Not only are these adorable, but I love the sweet, salty and savory combo. Perfect for adults and kids!

SCORE.

Let’s see, what else? Oh right, the marinated mozzarella + green olive eyeballs. These are really nothing crazy creative, but they look a little spooky without actually doing anything to them, so I went with it. Plus, I love marinated mozzarella + olive on toast. One of my favorite snacks!

And lastly, we have the vampire apple teeth (step-by-step shots below the recipe). These do not actually have cheese, but I love apples with my cheese and I have been wanting to make these for years, so I finally did! I’m sure you guys have all seen these floating around on Pinterest and in mags. They’re easy, fun and healthy! I used cranberries as “fangs” and thought they turned out pretty dang cute. I got to snack on all the leftovers for breakfast. Let’s just say I wasn’t complaining.

Oh and jeez! I almost forgot the apples! I made them super simple. Just caramel and crushed cheddar cheese crackers. I am a huge fan of cheddar + caramel, so naturally this apple had to happen…and you guys, it worked… I am in love, such a delicious combo. I can’t decide if it’s a dessert, snack or both, but either way, these apples are good!

You can also get creative here and add your own spin to this Deathly Hallows Cheese Board. There are so many fun things you can do…I had a hard time picking out my favorites to show you guys. Originally this board was like double the size.

Totally serious. You know I love my cheese!

5 from 8 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

Deathly Hallows Cheese Board.

By halfbakedharvest

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese, Halloween, harry potter

Have some tasty fun at Halloween

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 733 kcal

Ingredients

The Witch's Cheese Hat

2 ounces cream cheese cold
8 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped
4 cloves roasted garlic optional
2 tablespoons fig preserves
1/3 cup roasted pistachios chopped
salt + pepper to taste
poppy seeds for coating the hat
pomegranate arils for the rim of the hat

Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs

1 pound bocconcini
1 (8 ounce) jar green martini olives drained
2 sprigs fresh thyme + rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
salt + pepper to taste
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil enough to cover the cheese

Cheddar Cheese Caramel Apples

1 (11 ounce) bag caramel bits
2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
5-6 honeycrisp or granny smith apples
2 cups crushed cheddar cheese cracker crumbs

Peanut Butter + Cheddar Black Spiders

16 Ritz Crackers
8 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
24 mini pretzel sticks
8 squares sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter melted
black lava salt or poppy seeds, for sprinkling
16 dried cranberries

Bloody Pomegranate Baked Brie

1 (8 ounce) wheel brie
3/4 cup pomegranate or cranberry juice
1/2 cup honey
arils from one pomegranate

Vampire Teeth Apples

3 red apples cut into 6 wedges
creamy peanut butter for spreading
sliver almonds for the teeth
cranberries for the fangs

For the Board

homemade roasted sweet potato chips
fresh figs grapes + pomegranates
pretzels
thinly sliced prosciutto

Instructions

The Witch's Cheese Hat

Combine the cream cheese, gorgonzola cheese, sage, roasted garlic cloves and salt + pepper in a bowl. Beat together using an electric mixer until combined and whipped. Fold in the fig preserves and pistachios. Divide the mixture in half and shape into balls. Place each ball on a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the wrap around the balls.
Shape one ball into a 6 inch, flat circle and place on a plate. Place the remaining balls in the center of the circle. Shape the balls into a cone to form the top of the witch's hat. I found that using plastic wrap while shaping each piece was very helpful.
Place the plate in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the plastic wrap and position the cheese cone in the center of the circle. Cover the entire hat in poppy seeds. I recommend doing this on a clean counter so you can save any poppy seeds that fall. Line the rim of the hat with pomegranate arils. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs

Place the mozzarella balls and the olive in a large glass jar, layering the cheese + olives with the fresh herbs, salt and pepper as you go. Pour the olive oil over top to cover. Allow the cheese to marinate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with forks and crackers.

Cheddar Cheese Caramel Apples

Stick twigs into the top of each apple and add the cheddar cracker crumbs to a shallow bowl.
Prepare the caramel as directed on the bag of caramel bits. Dip each apple in caramel and allow any excess to drip off. Working quickly, roll each apple in the cheese cheese crackers and then place on a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining apples. Let the apples sit 30 minutes before serving or store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter + Cheddar Black Spiders

Spread the peanut butter on the bottom side of the Ritz Crackers. Break the pretzels in half and and place 3 pretzel pieces on either side of the cracker, sicking the pretzels into the peanut butter to adhere. Place a piece of cheddar on top and then spread the remaining bottoms of the Ritz Crackers with just a little peanut butter and place peanut butter side down onto the cheese. You should now have a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining crackers.
Brush the tops of each sandwich with melted butter and then sprinkle with black lava salt (or poppy seeds OR black sesame seeds). Place a little peanut butter on each of the cranberries and stick two cranberries on the crackers to look like eyes. Place on a serving plate. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Bloody Pomegranate Baked Brie

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the wheel of brie on a piece of parchment paper and place in a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is warm and gooey.
Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate juice and honey in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, boil until thickened and syrupy, 8-10 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, just add more juice to thin.
Carefully slide the brie off the parchment paper and onto a serving plate. Drizzle the pomegranate glaze over top and then top with pomegranate arils. Enjoy warm.

Vampire Teeth Apples

Slice the apples so you have triangular wedges. Now cut a smaller triangular wedge out of those wedges (see photos for example). Spread the inside of the apple with peanut butter. Stick two cranberries on the outer edge of the mouth for the fang and then stick 4 slivered almonds (break them into smaller pieces if needed) in between the fangs for teeth. Serve within a few hours of making as the apples can get a little discolored. NOTE: I wrapped my apples in plastic wrap overnight and the color was still fine the next day.

To assemble the board

Place the witch's hat, caramel apples, cheese eyes, black spiders, bloody brie and vampire teeth all on a table or very large cutting/cheese board. Add the sweet potatoes rounds, figs, grapes, pomegranates, pretzels/crackers and prosciutto as desired. BOOOO!

Recipe Notes

*Witches hat inspired by Land O' Lakes O' Lakes.

Meet Benny, he says BOOO!

HOW TO SHOTS:

Vampire Apples

Black Spiders

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photo #halfbakedharvest.