Whether you’re hosting a Gatsby-themed party or rockin’ your PJs, New Year’s Eve calls for a slightly elevated snack. Something that doesn’t require cooking is ideal, but it can be tricky finding oven-less recipes that aren’t lackluster (sorry, crudité platter). Luckily, there is one party host that's been churning out reliable party recipes for decades. It’s Martha, and I can tell you with confidence that her Roquefort cheese grapes are the weird and delicious snack you need for your New Year’s Eve party.
Even I was a tad skeptical at first—blue-cheese-coated green grapes rolled in ground nuts is atypical at best (for me anyway)—but I can hardly resist a five-ingredient recipe. Plus, it’s fitting for New Year’s Eve. For many cultures around the world, eating grapes at midnight is a tradition that invites good luck into your year. So why not offer grapes with a tasty twist?
This recipe is vintage 1982, coming from Stewart’s Entertaining cookbook. The idea is pretty simple, and I’ve made a few adjustments to make the execution even easier. She combines a smidge of Roquefort cheese (a soft, salty, funky blue cheese available in most big grocery stores) with cream cheese and a splash of heavy cream. The ratio of the three basically creates a cream cheese dip with a hint of blue cheese. Washed and dried green grapes get a light coating of the cheese spread and are then rolled in ground toasted nuts.
The result of this fruit, cheese, and nut combo is an absolutely exquisite bite. Texturally, you get the pleasure of biting into a juicy grape paired with cool, creamy cheese, and a rough tumble of finely ground nuts. As far as flavor is concerned, the blend is mesmerizing—the grapes are syrupy-sweet, the nuts offer welcome bitterness, and the cheese is buttery and salty with a playfully funky finish from the Roquefort.
Starting with room temperature cheeses makes mixing easy, but you can always pop the bowl into the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds to warm any fridge-cold ingredients. If you really hate blue cheese or you forgot to buy some, you can omit it. It’s a relatively small amount, so you can just substitute that measurement for more cream cheese and it’ll work just as well. Don’t chuck the leftover Roquefort cheese spread—it makes a mean dip for crackers.
(adapted from Martha Stewart’s Entertaining)
Ingredients:
½ pound seedless green grapes
4 ounces cream cheese
1 ounce Roquefort cheese
1 tablespoon heavy cream
¾ cup (about 6 ounces) toasted slivered almonds (or toasted walnuts)
1. Wash and dry your grapes. (If they're wet, the cheese won't stick.) Set them aside in a bowl.
2. Grind the nuts into a semi-fine nut meal. It’s okay if it’s uneven or some lentil-sized pieces are in there. Pour the ground nuts into a small bowl.
3. In a different small bowl, mix the cream cheese and Roquefort cheese together until smooth. Pop it into the microwave for 10 seconds or so if needed. Stir in the heavy cream. The mixture should be thick but spreadable like soft butter.
4. Put parchment paper on a sheet tray or plate. Roll the grapes in the cheese. You’ll probably achieve a thin, uneven coating, and that’s just fine. I put a vinyl glove on my left hand and just rubbed the cheese over the grapes with my hand. Drop the grapes into the bowl of nuts and roll them around until well coated. Gently place the coated grapes onto the parchment lined tray. Repeat with all the grapes.
5. Chill the grapes in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to firm-up the cheese and nut coating. Serve in a wide bowl or on a platter with candied nuts, and have a happy New Year.
