Goat Cheese Balls

Shanklish is a dried fermented cheese ball covered with herbs and spices. Many Levantine countries have variations of this delectable concoction. 
Those are the flavors I was brought up on.
This is a small twist I came up with because I needed to answer to my shanklish cravings. I made different herb/spice combinations and our favorite was the dried thyme and cayenne pepper one. 
I serve it in an antipasto spread, with crackers for a snack or on a green salad.

The real trick is to let the prepared cheese balls dry out in the fridge for a few days. The consistency will be closer to the original shanklish I was seeking.

Drizzle good rich olive oil on top and eat with bread.
You can also crumble a few cheese balls and mix them with small diced tomatoes and green onions with extra virgin olive oil on top of course! :)

Goat Cheese Balls

recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Makes 12 cheese balls.

Ingredients
1 log of goat cheese (8 oz / 225 g)
2 Tablespoons dried thyme
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Directions
You will need one small bowl, food safe gloves and one small shallow plate.
Prep all the ingredients.

Let the goat cheese sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before starting.
In a small bowl, mix the dried thyme and Cayenne pepper.
Divide the cheese log into 12. Take each segment of goat cheese and roll it between the palms of your hands for a nice even looking sphere. Roll each cheese ball in the thyme and cayenne pepper mix. Place on a plate (in a single layer) and let it set in the fridge UNCOVERED for 24 to 48 hours. 

This step will help the cheese balls to dry a little bit and get the required consistency.