Happy Applejack Month!

Applejack? For those not in the know, it is an apple brandy. I’ve only ever used it once and it was in this recipe that I made for a party a couple of years ago. But this recipe was so successful, and Applejack is such a random ingredient, that I thought I would share it again.

This party-perfect treat was extremely easy: by using pre-shredded cheddar, the most involved part of this dish was buying the applejack (apple brandy) because I had to drive up to the county to the big liquor store. Not surprisingly, they do not carry Applejack at the good ol’ Charles Village Liquors.

The most I had to do with this was mix, shape, and slice some apples.

I followed the directions and combined the cheeses, sour cream, applejack and syrup and mixed it together. As I went along I added a bit of extra brandy, maple syrup, and sour cream. This did increase the apple/maple flavor–which was a good thing, anyway–but I also did it because my lil’ hand mixer was having a hard time getting through all that cheese*–the mixture needed some liquid to smooth it out. And it did the trick.

As you can tell from the photo where I am holding the cheese, this was one big-ass cheese ball (or I just have freakishly small hands). It was really heavy, which I guess isn’t surprising considering that there is a pound of shredded cheddar in it.

So once molded, I put the apple wedges around it and squished them into the ball so they stuck.

So there you have it. Apple-Cheddar Ball.

I’m happy that it turned out like the photo. That’s a frickin’ good-looking cheese ball! And it was tasty, to boot! The sharpness of the cheddar plus the sweetness of the apples and the maple syrup—deeeee-lish. I don’t know exactly why the applejack was included, because I don’t think it was necessary; however, since this recipe did come from the 2 in 1 International Hors d’oeuvres & Cocktails Recipe Collection, booze-inclusion is a given.

I would have liked to have given the Apple Blossom a go, but it just never happened.

Has anyone else used Applejack in a cocktail? Maybe a mulled cider? Or maybe you just like to sip it once the leaves turn and there is a chill to the air? I’d love to hear if you have. Maybe this recipe will inspire you to give one of October’s official spirits a try!