I have posted before about my olive penguins and cheese ball igloo, and I would like to show you step by step how you can make this fun appetizer for yourself. You will be the hit of any winter party with this dish!
Here are the ingredients you will need for this appetizer:
- cream cheese block, cut into thirds
- carrots
- jumbo olives
- small or medium olives
- tooth picks
- red bell pepper
Make your favorite cheese ball recipe and press it into a bowl lined with plastic wrap.
Press it down well, trying to make sure there are no air pockets, so the igloo will be smooth.
Turn it over to what will be the top of igloo to smooth it with your hands. Then, put it in the fridge to firm up.
Now you are ready to work on the penguins!
Make a vertical slit in one of the jumbo olives. This will be the body, which you will stuff with cream cheese. (You’ll use 1/3 of the block to stuff penguins. Save the rest for “icing” the igloo.)
Don’t worry too much about being neat. You’ll wipe up the excess after it’s stuffed. It’s at this point that you will have to restrain yourself from popping these little babies into your mouth. Otherwise you won’t have enough to make a nice presentation and you’ll find yourself running back to the store for more olives.
Wait a minute! Maybe this is the reason I ran out of olives! I knew I didn’t eat that many!
Smooth out the cream cheese
and wipe off excess with a damp cloth.
Set the body on a carrot slice with a notch cut out. You’ll use the notch for the penguin’s beak, so don’t pop it into your mouth. Not that I am in that habit… or anything…
Now, take one of the smaller olives and cut a horizontal slit where you will put the beak.
Jam the beak into the slit. Go on. It won’t hurt a bit.
Next, stab a toothpick through the body into the carrot and set the head on top. Remind the little guy that this hurts you more than it hurts him.
To make the cute li’l Santa hat, cut a side off the red bell pepper and make a straight edge for the bottom of the hat.
Cut out the cute li’l hat in a size that will fit atop your penguin.
By this time, your penguin will have forgiven you for the violence you previously inflicted on his person, so you can adorn his li’l hat with cream cheese and plunge it onto his head.
Your cheese ball should be chilled by now, so turn it out onto a platter and scoop out an entry way. I like to smear my platter with cream cheese before I do this so it looks like the penguins have been skating around on the ice.
Beat 1/3 of the cream cheese block and 1-2 Tbsp of milk until creamy.
Use the mixture to “ice” the igloo.
Use the final 1/3 of the cream cheese block to make the ice blocks around the igloo entrance.
Drag a toothpick to make block marks in the “icing”.
You’re finished! Place your penguins!
Dude! Can you believe what she did to us?!
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That is sooo stinking cute!!
I have such a hard time actually digging into and eating things like that… I have to take dozens of pictures first! Someday I’ll have an entire scrapbook full of fancy (and cute!) food…
Wow, it’s amazing. It all looks very pretty and tasty of course
That is so cute!!
I love these Connie! I think about them every Christmas and always want to make them!
That is awesome.
Thank you for posting!
I am completely smitten by the penguins. I have to make them!
I love it! I have been planning on making a cheeseball this year for our family; my children will love this. Of course I think they are all going to want their own penguin to eat, so I’m sure I’ll have to make quite a few penguins!
I can see them talking about this for a long time! I love it! Thanks!
This is adorable! My family will expect me to follow up my Thanksgiving Turkey cookies with something cute. I think I found a winner!
This is such a cute idea. I’m going to have to try this next time I have friends/company over.
That is sooo cute and looks oh so yummy too
Ha! Oh, that’s great. Thanks for sharing. -Rob
This is so super cute, I bet your kiddos just love having such a creative mom…they look like they were having a blast helping out.
You have got to be kidding me. this is the cutest most fun thing I have seen. Really great. Thanks for sharing with us. I love it.
Enjoy country living
That is super cute. One of my favorite ways to have fun with a cheeseball is to make 3 balls 1 small 1 medium and 1 large and make a snowman using peppercorns and the tip of a small baby carrot to dress the snowman.
Too cute! Love this! And I used to wear the black olives on my fingers too…ok, sometimes I still do it : )
That is so cute! Love the photo of your girls with the olives on their fingers. Thanks for sharing!
You were right, Smockity! I made this for my home fellowship gathering last Friday night, and it WAS the hit of the party! I posted a picture of mine on my facebook page just a few minutes ago. It turned out so nicely – thank you for the marvelous idea!
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