Four ways with cheese - recipes

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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 other side.

Serve in a stack layered with bacon.

 

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 finger-tips. 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 200ºC for 15-20 minutes until baked and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Serve with fig jam or preserved figs and extra cheese.

 

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, grated

125g Gruyère, grated

250g crème fraîche

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 cheese on the base of the dough. Beat together the crème fraîche, mustard, eggs and seasoning and pour over the cheese.

Bake at 180ºC 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.

 

APPLE CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE

Serves 8-10

2 x 200g packets of ginger biscuits, crushed

125g butter, melted

400g 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 160ºC 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 into squares to serve.

CRUMBLE: Put oats, flour and sugar into a bowl, add the butter and rub in to form a crumble. - Saturday Star

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