In a food processor or mixer, using the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese with the grated cheddar and Comté. Blend very well until the cheeses have become very smooth and homogeneous. This will take several minutes. If you are using a mixer, it will take even longer (about 6-8 minutes)

Add the remaining ingredients except for the nuts and blend well for a minute or two.

Have 1 piece of plastic wrap, around 15 inches long, spread out onto a counter

Scoop out the mixture onto the center of the plastic wrap. The mixture will be very soft.

Pull up the plastic wrap to make a package sealing it in. It will be too soft to form a ball at this stage. Just make sure it is all sealed. Place it onto a plate or tray and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. You can speed up this by placing the “ball” in the freezer for 45 minutes and then continue in the fridge until firm.

Take the wrapped shape from the fridge and using your hands with the plastic still wrapped around the shape, mold it into a ball. It may take a bit, and the mixture will move around. You can unwrap the ball and rewrap it as needed but keep the plastic between you and the mixture to be neater.

Let the ball chill until set again for a few minutes before covering it in nuts. The ball can be frozen for 6 months at this point before covering them in nuts. Then, just let it thaw for several hours or overnight in the fridge.

Roll the ball in the chopped pecans, using a bowl or plate, and pressing the ball into the nuts to cover the ball entirely with the chopped nuts.

Serve with your favorite crackers.