Alpine Village Cheese Houses (Printable version)

Miniature cheese houses with almond roofs on crackers create a charming festive snack platter.

# What you need:

→ Cheese Houses

01 - 7 oz firm cheese (cheddar, gouda, or swiss), cut into sixteen ¾-inch cubes
02 - 32 sliced almonds for roofs plus extras for garnish

→ Snowy Landscape

03 - 16 pale or white crackers (such as water or rice crackers)
04 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

→ Decoration (optional)

05 - 1 small bunch fresh chives, cut into ⅜-inch pieces
06 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
07 - Poppy seeds or sesame seeds for added detail

# How to Make It:

01 - Spread a thin layer of softened cream cheese evenly over each cracker to simulate snow.
02 - Place a cheese cube atop each cream cheese-coated cracker, pressing gently to secure.
03 - Arrange two almond slices over each cheese cube to form a pitched roof, slightly overlapping the slices.
04 - Use chopped chives and diced red bell pepper to create trees, doors, or windows on each house as desired.
05 - Sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds for additional decorative detail.
06 - Arrange the completed miniature cheese houses on a large serving platter for display and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look impressive enough to steal the spotlight at any appetizer spread, but take mere minutes to assemble.
  • Everyone, from kids to adults, gets genuinely delighted building and eating their own edible houses.
  • The contrast of creamy cheese, crispy cracker, and crunchy almond is unexpectedly satisfying in every bite.
02 -
  • Room-temperature cream cheese spreads smoothly without dragging the cracker; cold cream cheese tears everything and warm cream cheese melts into a mess.
  • Almonds must be sliced (not slivered or whole) to sit flat and overlap properly—a whole almond will just tumble off.
03 -
  • Make sure your almonds are fresh and toasted lightly—stale almonds bend and shatter instead of leaning gracefully into that perfect roof angle.
  • Dice your red pepper very small; large chunks look sloppy, but tiny squares read as intentional doors and windows from across a room.
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