BLUE CHEESE AND HAZELNUT SCONES
Makes 12
500ml flour
15ml baking powder
3ml salt
15ml castor sugar
50g butter
100g blue cheese, crumbled
50g skinned hazelnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
160ml milk
1 egg
Put flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl.
Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips.
Add the cheese and hazelnuts and mix.
Combine the milk and egg and add to the flour mixture to form a soft but not sticky dough.
Knead lightly on a floured surface. Roll out to about 2.5cm thickness and cut 5cm rounds.
Place on a baking tray and brush with a little milk. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until baked and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.
Serve with fig jam or preserved figs and extra cheese.
RICOTTA CRUMPETS WITH BACON
Makes 12-14
375ml self-raising flour
3ml salt
180ml buttermilk
2 eggs
250g ricotta cheese
15ml chopped chives
oil for frying
cooked rashers of bacon
Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Combine buttermilk, eggs and ricotta in a jug and mix well.
Add to the flour to form a stiff batter. Stir in the chives.
Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and add spoonfuls of mixture to the pan. Cook the crumpets until golden on one side then flip over and cook on the other side.
Serve in a stack layered with bacon.
FRENCH CHEESE TART
Serves 6-8
Dough
500ml flour
5ml salt
10g sachet of instant yeast
10ml sugar
100-125ml warm milk
1 egg
50g butter, softened
Filling
125g strong cheddar cheese, grated
125g Gruyère cheese, grated
250g crème fraiche
10ml Dijon mustard
2 eggs
salt and pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
DOUGH: Put the flour, salt, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Combine the milk, egg and butter and add to the flour. Mix to form a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Knead well until smooth and elastic. Put the dough into an oiled plastic bag and set aside to rise for 30-40 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bag and knead gently. Roll the dough out large enough to line the base and sides of a 23cm shallow loose-bottomed cake pan.
FILLING: Sprinkle the cheeses on the base of the dough. Beat together the crème fraiche, mustard, eggs and seasoning and pour over the cheeses.
Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until the dough is cooked and the filling set. Remove from the oven.
Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. This tart is delicious served warm.
CHEESE AND ONION QUICHE
Serves 4-6
30ml olive oil
30g butter
2 large onions, peeled, halved and sliced
125g mature cheddar cheese, grated
125g Gruyère cheese grated
23cm baked pastry case
250ml cream
2 eggs
salt and pepper
50g goat’s cheese
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and gently fry the onions until golden and caramelised.
Sprinkle the cheddar and Gruyère cheese on to the base of the pastry.
Spread over the cooked onions.
Combine the cream, eggs and seasoning and pour over the filling. Dot the top with the goat’s cheese. Bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until the filling is set. Remove and serve warm.
APPLE CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE
Serves 8-10
2 x 200g packets of ginger biscuits, crushed
125g butter, melted
400g can of tinned apples
500g thick cream cheese
180ml castor sugar
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
grated rind of 1 lemon
30ml lemon juice
Crumble
250ml oats
60ml flour
60ml brown sugar
60g butter
Combine biscuits with the butter and mix well. Line the base and sides of a 20x30cm baking pan with non-stick baking paper. Press the crumble mixture into the base of the pan and press down firmly. Chill well.
Scatter the apples over the base.
Combine the cream cheese, castor sugar, eggs, yolk, lemon rind and juice and beat until smooth using an electric mixer.
Pour this mixture over the apples and top with crumble mixture. Bake at 160°C for 50-60 minutes until filling is just set.
Remove, cool and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm.
Remove cheesecake from the pan and cut it into squares to serve.
CRUMBLE: Put oats, flour and sugar into a bowl, add the butter and rub in to form a crumble. - The Star