Reader Recipe
Better than a Fruitcake Cheese Ball
December 2010

Rick Patrick
This recipe was featured in 2010 Holiday Recipe Contest.
Contest sponsored by the Texas Pecan Board
Christmas colors inspired Sharon Fabianke’s winning creation. “I like cheese balls, and I knew the contest was about Christmas,” she said. “I saw the fruit in H-E-B, and thought it would look good; I liked the red and green combination.”
After putting it together, she took her easy-to-make recipe to several parties, she said, “and people really liked it. I thought, ‘This is better than fruitcake.’ ” Hence, the recipe had a name.
Fabianke, a retired teacher, and her husband, Lloyd, who have three grown children and four grandchildren, moved to Temple three years ago from San Antonio. “I came from the big city to a small town, and I love it,” she said. Besides creating in the kitchen, she stays busy substitute teaching, offering a Bible study at a local rehabilitation center and counseling at Hope Pregnancy Center.
This is her first entry in a recipe contest. She suggests serving the cheese ball with a salty cracker to give a nice contrast of flavors.
Better Than a Fruitcake Cheese Ball
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided
1/2 cup chopped candied kiwi fruit, divided
1/2 cup chopped candied strawberries, divided
Cream together Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and mayonnaise. Add 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup kiwi fruit and 1/4 cup strawberries. Mix remaining pecans, kiwi and strawberries. Press coating mixture into cheese ball to make it stick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Servings: 16. Serving size: 1/4 cup. Per serving: 161 calories, 3.4 g protein, 10.6 g fat, 13.2 g carbohydrates, 0.7 g dietary fiber, 104 mg sodium, 11.9 g sugars, 23 mg cholesterol
Cook’s tip: If you can’t find the candied fruits at the store, look for them online.
Sharon Fabianke, Heart of Texas Electric Cooperative