Cool 3D Cheese Carving

Have you ever wanted something in your kitchen that is delicious, but more aesthetically pleasing than just a block of smoked cheese?

Recently, I decided that the looks of my favourite cheese (smoked cheese) should equal its taste (which is incredible), so I set out to find a way to make a block of smoked cheese look more attractive. And I found it!

In this Instructable, I will show you two methods of making cool 3D cheese carvings, that not only taste delicious, but also look good. The first method using a knife to carve the cheese is steps 1 - 4, and the second method using a cookie cutter is steps 5 - 7.

The supplies you will need for this Instructable:

• A knife (preferably with a thin blade and a sharp tip). I recommend the brand kitchen devils, they can be purchased off an online website like amazon or e-bay.
• Scissors
• Tape
• A printout of a picture of your choice (or if you do not have a printer you can just draw a picture freehand).
• A chopping board
• A cookie cutter of your choice
• Smoked cheese

This is the first method that allows more choices of designs, but is harder to carve.

If you do not have a printer, then you can draw/mark a picture/image on to the cheese and skip to step 3. It is easier for you to carve the shape if you just have a silhouette of the object you plan to carve. Just remember, the more detailed the design, the harder it will be to carve.

If you have a printer, the first step you need to do is to find a picture/image that you want to carve on to the cheese, and print it off at the size you want your carving to be on the cheese.

Then trim down the edges of the paper to slightly larger than the size of the cheese. You will see why you need to do this in the next step.

Tape the picture you wish to carve over the top of the cheese. This will allow you to outline the shape with a knife later, whilst keeping it in place.

It does not really matter what tape you use, as it is only touching the rind of the cheese, and it will just peel off later.

Start outlining the shape of your picture with a knife, gradually working your way around the design. If you use a knife with a thin blade and a sharp tip, it will be easier for you to carve the small details. You do not need to go all the way through the cheese on the first pass, it may be easier for you to gradually cut all the way through with several passes of the knife.

Don't worry if the outline looks a bit messy at this stage, because you can neaten it up later. You can mess up the excess material around the edge of your design as much as you want whilst cutting out your design, because it will not be part of the final result.

Now comes the fun part, when you can see your design coming together!

Cut slices of excess cheese away from the outside of your design, as this is easier than trying to remove all of it in one piece. Now trim around the outside of your piece, neatening up the edges of your design.

This is the second method, which is easier, quicker, and will achieve the best end results. However, you are limited to what cookie cutters you possess, whereas with the first method you can carve an unlimited number of designs.

I suggest purchasing a set of cookie cutters online if you are getting serious about cheese carving. Just make sure they are the right size for your cheese! I have chosen a gingerbread man, because the size of the cheese means that the rind around the edge will make it look like he has shoes!

Once you have positioned your cookie cutter to your satisfaction, you can apply force evenly on the top of the cookie cutter until the cheese has been fully cut through and you are left with a clean outline of the cookie cutter.

When you are sure that the cookie cutter has completely cut through the cheese, gently pull on the surplus material around the edge of your design, and it should separate cleanly.

When you have separated the outside material from your design, push on the cheese inside the cookie cutter whilst pulling on the top of the cookie cutter, and with a little force it should slide out cleanly.

The best part about this project is that it is fully edible, so you can serve them up as part of a snack tray, etc. The only problem is that people might not want to spoil your hard work by eating them!