Alpine Village Cheese Houses (Printable View)

Miniature cheese houses topped with almond slices on crackers create a whimsical festive spread.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cheese Houses

01 - 7 oz firm cheese (cheddar, gouda, or swiss), cut into sixteen 3/4-inch cubes
02 - 32 sliced almonds for roofs and garnish

→ Snowy Landscape

03 - 16 pale or white crackers (e.g., water or rice crackers)
04 - 2 tbsp cream cheese, softened

→ Decoration (optional)

05 - Small bunch fresh chives, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
06 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
07 - Poppy seeds or sesame seeds for detail

# How to Make:

01 - Spread a thin layer of softened cream cheese evenly on each cracker to create a snowy base.
02 - Place one 3/4-inch cheese cube gently on top of each cream cheese-coated cracker to form the house.
03 - Arrange two almond slices on each cheese cube in a slightly overlapping manner to simulate pitched roofs.
04 - Use chive pieces and diced red bell pepper to create trees, doors, and windows on each house as desired.
05 - Sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds over the assembled village for additional decorative detail.
06 - Arrange all decorated houses on a large serving platter for display and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Takes barely twenty minutes but looks like you spent hours on something intricate and thoughtful.
  • Kids and adults both get excited watching edible architecture come together on a platter.
  • You can use whatever cheese you have and customize the decorations to match your mood.
02 -
  • Prepare these as close to serving time as possible—crackers soften within an hour or two, and your architecture starts to sag if they sit too long.
  • If an almond slice splits when you're positioning it, don't panic; overlap a fresh one slightly over top and nobody will ever notice the repair.
03 -
  • Softening your cream cheese for just five minutes at room temperature makes it spread like butter and gives you way more control than cold cream cheese.
  • Chilling the assembled platter for ten minutes before serving helps the cream cheese set just enough that nothing shifts when guests pick up their houses.
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