Blue Cheese

Roquefort and Honey Cheesecake with Walnut and Pear

~ louisehad ~ Leave a comment

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My current favourite cookbook is Felicity Cloake’s A to z of Eating. I made the Aloo Tikki Scotch Eggs for the Borough Market Cookbook club which went down really well. One of the best things about the cookbook club is that you get to try recipes that the other members have made. The dish I was most impressed with was the Roquefort and honey cheesecake with walnut and pear; deliciously savoury and sweet at the same time. So, when my parents were here on a visit, I took the opportunity to try out the recipe. It was divine, everyone loved it and there was enough for lunch the next day too. I served it with a green salad and really that’s all it needs.  Make it ahead of time and serve cold to avoid hassle.

For the base:

  • 200g plain, finely milled oatcakes
  • 70g walnuts
  • 125g melted butter, plus extra to grease
  • 3 tbsp honey

 

For the topping:

  • 400g cream cheese
  • 200g Roquefort, crumbled
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 pear

 

 

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Method

 

To make the base, whizz the oatcakes and 50g of the walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped, then drizzle in the melted butter and the honey and whizz to combine. Set to one side.

Grease a 23cm springform tin with butter, making sure the bottom half of the sides is particularly generously greased. Press the mixture down firmly into the base of the tin. Whizz the remaining walnuts until finely chopped, then add to the tin and rotate it on its side so it is coated with walnut crumbs to about halfway up. Chill for at least an hour

Heat the oven to 130°C/fan 110°C/gas a half. Beat together the cheeses until well combined, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by 1 tablespoon of the honey and some black pepper.

Pour into the tin and bake for 90 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin while you finish the topping

Turn the oven up to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Thinly slice the pear, removing the stalk, and put it on a greased baking tray. Brush with half the remaining honey and bake for 15 minutes

Heat the grill, brush the pear slices with the rest of the honey and grill for about five minutes, until beginning to brown. Arrange on top of the cheesecake and serve warm or cold, but not hot.

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Blue Cheese Scones

~ louisehad ~ 1 Comment

Cheese scones with cheese board

‘Your dad has made some really good cheese scones with blue cheese’, my mum told me on the phone. Blue cheese scones! I would simply have to make them, so after some expert tips from my dad; you can’t grate blue cheese and make sure you put some on the top, I was ready to go. Scones are a big deal in our family, mainly because they are so quick and easy to make. Though I’ve tried lots of recipes, including Paul Hollywood’s which uses strong white flour, I always come back to the recipe in the Be-Ro cookery book. We have had this book since I was a child, they still publish it and have most of the same recipes in it. As my partner is not a huge blue cheese fan, I also made some cheddar cheese scones.

Blue cheese and cheddar scones

Ingredients

175g self-raising flour

Pinch of salt and pepper

25g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

80g cheese (40g blue cheese, crumbled, 40g cheddar, grated)

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons milk

 

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 220°c/ 200°c fan/ gas Mark 7
  • Grease or line a baking tray with parchment paper
  • Mix flour and seasoning. Rub in butter so the flour resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Divide the mixture in two and add the blue cheese to one half and the cheddar cheese to the other. Save some of the cheese for the top.
  • Mix the egg and the milk and add half to each of the flour mixtures with the mustard. Reserve a little of the liquid for glazing at the end. Mix into a soft dough.
  • Roll out into a round of 1.5cm in thickness. With a cookie cutter, cut into rounds.
  • Place on the baking tray and brush the top with the egg wash, taking care not to let it cover the sides. Top the scones with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown

Cheese scones