Polished Pebble Cheese Almonds (Printer View)

Smooth oval cheeses and roasted almonds arranged artfully for a playful, elegant appetizer presentation.

# Components:

→ Cheeses

01 - 7 oz oval-shaped mini mozzarella balls
02 - 7 oz oval goat cheese medallions or soft cheese cut into ovals
03 - 5.3 oz babybel cheese, peeled and halved

→ Nuts

04 - 3.5 oz whole raw almonds

→ Garnishes

05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
07 - Small handful fresh basil leaves
08 - Microgreens or edible flowers, optional

# Method steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds evenly on a baking tray and roast for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once until golden and fragrant. Allow to cool.
02 - Drain mozzarella balls and goat cheese medallions. Pat dry with paper towels to achieve a polished surface.
03 - On a large serving platter or wooden board, artfully arrange cheeses and roasted almonds in a flowing, organic pattern mimicking a stream-bed of pebbles, alternating cheese types and nuts.
04 - Lightly drizzle olive oil over the arrangement and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
05 - Top with fresh basil leaves, microgreens, and edible flowers for a natural garden-inspired finish. Serve immediately with cocktail picks or small forks.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent twenty minutes, which feels like the best kind of honest cheating.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about eating something beautiful—it tastes better when it looks intentional.
  • No cooking skills required, just an eye for arranging things in a way that makes people smile before they even taste it.
02 -
  • Wet cheese loses its shine and appeal—that drying step might feel fussy, but it's the difference between "nice platter" and "is that from a restaurant?"
  • Room-temperature cheese tastes infinitely better than cold cheese, so don't pull these from the fridge right before serving; give them fifteen minutes to warm up and actually taste like something.
03 -
  • Arrange your board about twenty minutes before guests arrive so the cheese comes to room temperature and you're not frantically finishing when people are walking in the door.
  • If edible flowers intimidate you, skip them—the basil and microgreens do the job just fine, and a guest would rather eat something you're confident about than something that makes you nervous.
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