Name: Blue Cheese Log with Walnuts and Honey
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Ingredients: 6 ounces soft, mild blue cheese (1 1/2 cups); 6 ounces cream cheese; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 cup walnuts , toasted and chopped fine; 1 1/2 ounces pitted dates , chopped (1/4 cup); 2 tablespoons honey

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a cheese log firm enough to hold its shape but soft enough to easily drag a cracker through at room temperature. To get there, we settled on a simple mixture of half soft, mild blue cheese and half cream cheese. This mixture was pliable enough to be easily shaped in plastic wrap, and after a trip to the freezer it had firmed up enough for us to roll it in a mixture of toasted walnuts and dried dates before drizzling it with honey.

Before You Begin

We chill the cheese log in the freezer because it’s much easier to roll in the walnut-date mixture when firm. Once the cheese log has been garnished, it can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to two days.

Instructions

Process blue cheese, cream cheese, and pepper in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute.

Lay 18 by 11-inch sheet of plastic wrap on counter with long side parallel to counter edge. Transfer cheese mixture to center of plastic and shape into approximate 9-inch log with long side parallel to counter edge. Fold plastic over log and roll up. Pinch plastic at ends of log and roll log on counter to form tight cylinder. Tuck ends of plastic underneath. Freeze until completely firm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Combine walnuts and dates on large plate and spread into even layer. Unwrap cheese log and roll in walnut-date mixture to evenly coat. Transfer to serving dish and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Drizzle with honey and serve.