Afrim Pristine, owner of the Cheese Boutique in Toronto created Canada’s first official Charcuterie Chalet, a stylish and savoury feast for the eyes and the palate! It’s an ideal holiday activity with friends and family, and the perfect show-stopper for hosts! It only takes 60-90 minutes and the best part is that everyone will actually eat this house - and enjoy it!
With bricks made of crunchy aged havarti, a roof of nutty sliced gouda and pepperoni, snowbanks of Danish blue cheese, crackers for doors and windows, pepperette fire logs, and everything held together with a soft cream cheese, Afrim hopes to make the Charcuterie Chalet a new holiday tradition.
Step 1 - Purchase your Base, ingredients and cheese
Afrim recommends using a wooden house, which can easily be ordered online and serve as a 3D cheeseboard. As Canada’s number one authority on cheese, Afrim recommends premium cheeses to withstand the build, but ones that are affordable so everyone can participate. He uses various cheese types from Castello, which offers the taste and texture needed for the roof and bricks, and he uses Tre Stelle Cream Cheese as the glue to hold it all together and pipe perfect snowy drifts.
Afrim’s Castello Cheese Recommendations:
- Two packages Aged Havarti (For the bricks)
- One package Extra Mature Tickler (For the grated snow)
- One package Gouda Slices (For the thatched roof)
- One package Creamy Havarti: Herbs & Spices (For the windows)
- One package Danish Blue (For the snow banks)
- One package Taste Mexico Cream Cheese Ring (For the bushes)
Cream Cheese You’ll Need:
- Five packages Tre Stelle Original Cream Cheese (To pipe and secure the ingredients to the house)
Other Groceries You’ll Need:
- One small package of Pepperoni (shingles)
- Whole wheat crackers (windows)
- Whole grain cracker (door)
- Bread sticks (pillars)
- Fresh rosemary (garland)
- Fresh thyme (garland for pillars)
- Almonds (window frame / wreath)
- Crushed candied pecans (path)
- Pomegranate seeds (holiday lights)
- Dried cranberries (decoration)
Step 2 - Prep your Ingredients
Tip: Ensure all cheese is well chilled for easier slicing
- Cut the Aged Havarti into small horizontal rectangles to serve as bricks.
- Cut small pepperoni slices into half for roof shingles.
Tip: Stack as many as possible and slice in the middle to save time
- Cut Gouda slices into even vertical rectangles to create the thatched roof.
Tip: Even slices are key for a uniform-looking roof which is why Afrim chose these Gouda slices as it’s less cutting to create the right shape and size for a flat and even roof
- Cut eight tiny squares of the Herbs & Spices Havarti for windows on crackers Tip: Ensure all eight are the same size, feel free to use a ruler and cut slowly Cut Taste Mexico ring in half for bushes under windows.
Tip: If you prefer a sweeter flavour, use Taste Hawaii or for a more spicy option, try Taste Thailand
- Add Tre Stelle Original Cream Cheese to a reusable freezer bag for piping.
Tip: No other cream cheese works here. Afrim recommends this because no whipping is required. Simply drain the water (which proves it’s all natural and fresh) and add to your piping bag.
- Wrap and refrigerate your cheeses until ready to assemble
- Lay out your fruit, nuts, crackers and other favourite charcuterie ingredients in small bowls for easy assembly and clean-up.
Step 3- Preparing the Base
Pipe a good amount of the cream cheese evenly onto your structure and smooth it out with a spatula - this will serve as the base to hold all the ingredients to the house. For the upper roof, place the first row of sliced Gouda shingles evenly, then add the second row so that it slightly overlaps the first row creating a thatched roof look. Repeat to the top. Uniformity is key.
Step 4 - The Roof
For the lower roof, place the halved pepperoni slices one at a time, curved side down, and repeat to the top. Stop and look and adjust as you go to ensure a straight line.
Step 5 - Door, Window and Bricks - The Roof
Place your whole grain cracker for the door in the bottom centre of the house.
Prepare your windows by placing four small dots of cream cheese on a square whole wheat cracker and attaching four small squares of Herbs & Spices Havarti to each.
Gather your Aged Havarti bricks and begin placing them starting at the bottom centre, and alternating as you move up to create the traditional brick pattern. Cut slices as necessary to fit.
Step 6 - Garland Pillars
Pipe a thick line of cream cheese on all four corners of the house and attach a bread stick to each. Pipe thin diagonal cream cheese lines to bread sticks and delicately place thyme leaves as decorations
Step 7 - Almond Window and Garland Decorations
Pipe a circle of cream cheese around the window and place almonds starting at 12, 6, 9 and 3 o’clock, then fill in the remaining gaps to ensure even placement. Pipe a small amount inside the circular window and top with cranberries. Pipe cream cheese to the upper roof ledge and around the door and decorate with rosemary and pomegranate seeds. Pipe cream cheese under the cracker windows to serve as a ledge. Pipe thick fluffy lines across the roof, chimney and any gaps to resemble snow. Finish the house by placing half of the Taste Mexico ring under the cracker windows to serve as bushes / hedges.
Step 8 - The Finishing Touches
Now that your house is complete, have fun filling the space on the board with all your favourite charcuterie ingredients.
- Pipe a path for the front door and spread evenly shaping as needed, then top with ground candied pecans.
- Place two mounds of grapes on either side of the house.
- Pile three pepperettes to represent fire logs (wrap in thyme optional).
- Crumble Danish Blue to replicate mounds of snow.
- Add more cheese to create additional snow mounds around the house.
- Add your favourite pickles, meats, fresh and dried fruits to finish the board.
- Finish by grating Extra Mature Tickler on your board - it has the perfect texture to create a snow falling effect and crackers can easily scoop it up for eating. Have fun!
Thank you Afrim Pristine for Christmas Charcuterie House tutorial. Follow Afrim Pristine on Instagram for more wonderful ideas!
More Reading:
- A Gingerbread House Tutorial: FBC Headquarters | Food Bloggers of Canada
- 13 Christmas Sides that Steal the Show | Food Bloggers of Canada
- 14 Christmas Recipes to Elevate Your Holiday Dinner | Food Bloggers of Canada
- The Holiday Entertaining Menu Plan: Christmas Morning Brunch | Food Bloggers of Canada
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