When perusing the Internet for some fun and creepy recipes for this run of Spooktober, I was looking for a treat that was more savory than sweet for this week. And so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try to make it.
There were a couple of different versions of this recipe on the web, featuring a wide variety of cheeses, so I wanted to make this version a combination of all of them, with options for both solid cheese and soft cheese fans. But, if you prefer one over the other, you can of course adjust the recipe to make the hand entirely out of mozzarella or entirely out of cream cheese. And you can of course adjust the cheese to be the type you want, as long as you’re able to shape it into a hand, of course.
But for the prosciutto, there isn’t really a great substitute since the meat just looks so flesh-like, but you could try using other cold cut meats like salami or pepperoni if you can’t find any and it will still look pretty realistic. And of course, you are welcome to pair this with any crackers and other charcuterie board classics, as you wish.
But regardless of what type of meat and cheese you choose to use for your creepy charcuterie board, this severed arm will single handedly impress your guests and be a great centerpiece for your spooky snacks at your next Halloween Party!
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese (or Neufchatel or other soft cheese)
- 1 tbsp chive
- 1 tbsp dill
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 5 Panino rolls (or you can make your own with string cheese and prosciutto)
- 1 log mozzarella (or other log shaped cheese)
- 3-4 oz prosciutto
- 5 sliced almonds (optional)
- Some crackers of your choice
Step 1: Prepare Herbed Cream Cheese
First, we’ll prepare the herbed cream cheese, so give your herbs a mince if needed. Then, in a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese along with the minced herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and mix this all together until everything is evenly distributed.
Step 2: Prepare Arm Guide on Parchment Paper
Next, lay a sheet of parchment paper down onto a baking sheet, and if you wish, you can trace out your hand and upper arm to help act as a guide to help make your cheese sculpture look more realistic. Then, place another sheet of parchment paper on top of this.
Step 3: Craft Prosciutto Cheese Hand w/ Mozzarella, Cream Cheese, & Prosciutto
Then, once you’re ready to craft your prosciutto cheese hand, for the fingers, place down your panino rolls to match with your finger tracings and place your mozzarella log to match your arm.
Then, add in your herbed cream cheese to serve as the hand in the gap between the fingers and the arm, smoothing it out into a “back of the hand” shape.
Then, place your prosciutto slices over the mozzarella arm and cream cheese so that it begins to resemble a hand. Don’t be afraid to pull apart and tear the prosciutto slices into smaller pieces if needed, as it’ll make it easier for people to cut off pieces of prosciutto when you go to serve it.
Then, for the almond nails, if using, you can secure them onto the panino fingers with a little dab of cream cheese.
Step 4: Place Arm Wrapped in Fridge Until Ready to Serve; Serve w/ Crackers; & Enjoy!
Once your arm is to your liking, I recommend covering it with some plastic wrap and refrigerating it for an hour or so to allow the cream cheese to firm back up. You can also wrap it more firmly in plastic wrap or store it in a sealable container, if you wish to make this ahead a couple of days.
But once you’re ready to serve it, unwrap it and remove it from the parchment paper, transferring it to a presentation platter or cutting board.
Serve it with some crackers, and with that, your Prosciutto Cheese Severed Hand is ready to eat.