1. To save time it's best to use a wedge shaped cheese, or a triangular one. That way you don't have to worry about cutting the shape yourself. 
2. Chilling the cheese before pressing down the seasoning is KEY to the tree shape. Remove the cheese from the fridge only when the seasoning is ready, and when you're ready to assemble. 
3. The flavors of the seasoning mixture are totally variable! You can use orange zest instead  of lemon, or with lemon. The types of herbs are up to you. Similarly the nuts or dried fruits. 
4. The seasoning can be prepared well ahead of time and kept in airtight container for 7 days in the fridge. We LOVE using leftover seasoning on salads as salad toppers.
5. If your pretzel sticks are too long, cut each into half to make the perfect size for the cheese trees. 
6. Avoid using toothpicks as it becomes tricky to eat.
7. The honey is great for sticking the seasoning and you can even drizzle some more over the cheese when ready.

How to Serve Cheese Trees?

Serve these cheese trees on their own or better yet, serve them in a charcuterie board. They're perfect paired with deli meats, crackers, olives, more cheese and fruit.

What is the Best Type of Cheese To Make cheese trees?

• We used the "laughing cow" although we're not fans of it, but we love the convenience of the shape and texture it offers. Plus with all the tasty seasoning we made, we felt it's a completely different cheese!
• You can likewise use brie cheese. Cut the wheel into wedges and use the cut side soft cheese for dipping into the seasoning. 
• Finally, you can use cream cheese that you'll need to shape yourself. 
• We tried using semisoft cheese like mozzarella, havarti and provolone cheese which we cut into wedges. To use those, we found that it's best to brush on side of the cheese lightly with honey. Then take that side and dip into the seasoning mixture. That’s the only way for the seasoning to stick.

Can you make Cheese Tree Appetizer ahead of time?

YES! That's one of the best things when planning for the Holidays! The seasoning mixture can be made 7 days in advance, and stored in a sealed container. You can buy the cheese and keep it in the fridge until ready to assemble. 

Once assembled, the cheese trees can be wrapped in the serving board and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Avoid any moisture going in to the serving board. That's KEY to keeping them for so long. 

Variations on Cheese Trees

• Different Citrus. We love orange zest here as well, and it's perfectly keeping with the holiday spirit. But we have a thing for the brightness that lemon adds, so ideally we would use a combo of both!
• Spicy. Add in chilli flakes or cayenne pepper for a spicy cheese appetizer! We didn't use that today because we know kids LOVE these as well. You can however split them into half spicy and half not. 
• Change the nuts. Swap the pecans for pistachio for a Mediterranean twist to these. Use walnuts or almonds if you want a basic nutty taste. Or better off use a combo of nuts. 
• Dried fruits. If we could swap the cranberries, it would be for figs or dried peaches. Figs would be our choice for sure! They have an impeccable sweetness and delicate crisp texture from the seeds. But feel free to use your favorite!
• Sweetness. While honey is used here for sweetness and to help the seasoning stick, you can likewise use maple syrup. And even more, use some fig jam. Ok it's clear we have a thing for figs, but I mean can you resist fig jam?!