Vegan Pinecone Cheeseball

Ingredients:

8 ounces seasoned seitan

4-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained, or approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup sautéed coarsely chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup pitted black olives

8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella

3 tablespoons finely minced parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or vegan Worcestershire Sauce, or to taste

2 teaspoons maple syrup, or to taste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Approximately 4 cups whole almonds, smoked or lightly roasted and salted, or 1 cup finely chopped almonds

6 short sprigs fresh rosemary

Accompaniment: crackers

Directions:

Place seitan in food processor and pulse a few times to finely chop. Add mushrooms and black olives and pulse a few more times to finely chop and combine. Add all remaining ingredients, except whole almonds and rosemary, and pulse until mixture comes together and all ingredients are evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired, pulsing to distribute.

Divide mixture in half, forming two oval shapes, slightly narrower at one end, on serving platter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes or overnight.

Just before serving, begin at narrow end applying whole almonds in rows, with the wide end of each almond barely inserted into cheeseball, each row slightly overlapping the previous. Insert 3 rosemary sprigs in the wider end of each cheeseball and serve with crackers. Alternatively, press finely chopped almonds or minced parsley onto the surface of both balls.

*Created exclusively for Tofutti Brands, Inc. by Betsy DiJulio of The Blooming Platter.