Blue Cheese Walnut Cheesecake Food

BLUE CHEESE WALNUT TART

Steps:

• Press pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges. Bake at 425° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, blue cheese and garlic until blended. Add the cream, egg, cayenne and pepper; beat well. Spread mixture into crust. Sprinkle with red peppers, walnuts and parsley. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months, or bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until center is set., To use frozen tart: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Uncover; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until center is set.

BLUE CHEESE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Beat cream cheese and blue cheese in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy--about 5 minutes. Mix in 1 cup sour cream and pepper. Add eggs - one at a time - mixing well after each addition.
• Pour mixture into buttered 9 inch springform pan. Bake 60 - 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Carefully spread 1 1/4 cup sour cream over top. Return to oven 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
• To serve, place on serving plate. Carefully remove sides of pan. Decorate top with red pepper cut into flower shapes with small cookie cutter and green onion tops as stems.

BLUE CHEESE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° until lightly browned, about 5 minutes., Place the cream cheese, blue cheese, spreadable cheese, sour cream, eggs, milk, sherry and pepper in a blender; cover and process until blended. Pour over crust. Place pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. , Bake until center is almost set, 50-55 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with crackers.

BLUE CHEESE, BALSAMIC ONION MARMALADE AND WALNUT FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Five hours before baking the focaccia, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and oil the bottom and interior sides with the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Begin panning and dimpling the dough, at 20-minute intervals, dipping your fingers in olive oil to keep them from sticking to the dough as you work. After three to four rounds of dimpling and resting, the dough will have relaxed enough to cover the whole pan. At this point, rub the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over the dough and cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap. Then allow 4 hours for the final rise.
• When the dough reaches the rim of the pan, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (425 degrees F for convection). Carefully peel off the plastic wrap and top the dough with the walnuts, pressing them into the dough. Spread the onion marmalade over the dough. Then top with the blue cheese, spacing the crumbles evenly so that every piece of the focaccia will include a pocket of blue cheese as well as walnuts and onions.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 8 minutes. Then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until the edge of the focaccia is golden brown and the dough is springy when poked in the center. The undercrust of the focaccia as well as the onions should be caramelized to a golden brown.
• Transfer the baked focaccia to the stovetop or to a heatproof counter. Using an offset spatula or bench blade, carefully slide it around the edge, between the crust and the side of the pan, and then lift the focaccia out of the pan and slide it onto a cutting board. If the parchment paper or baking mat is still clinging to the focaccia, remove it. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 3- or 4-inch squares and serve.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Add all of the water and mix on slow speed for 30 seconds or stir with a large spoon to form a coarse, shaggy dough. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil, increase the speed to medium (or continue mixing with the spoon or with wet hands), and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a wet, coarse, sticky dough. It may seem too wet to form a cohesive dough at this stage. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate.
• Increase the mixer speed to medium-high (or continue mixing by hand) and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a smooth, sticky dough. It should be soft, supple and sticky to the touch, and offer a little resistance when pressed with a wet finger.
• Use 1 teaspoon of the extra oil to make a 15-inch-diameter oil slick on the work surface. Rub some oil on a plastic bowl scraper and on your hands and use the scraper to transfer the dough to the oil slick. Stretch and fold the dough. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold (rub more oil on the work surface as needed), cover the dough, and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Then repeat the stretch and fold, cover with the bowl, and again let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Perform a fourth and final stretch and fold to make a smooth ball of dough. The dough will have firmed up after each stretch and fold and will now be soft, smooth, supple, and somewhat sticky but firm enough to hold together when lifted. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 72 hours.
• In a large frying pan or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, lower the heat to medium-low, and saute, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent. Do not cook over high heat, as the outside of the onions will char before the interior has softened and sweetened. Continue stirring for another few minutes, until the onions have softened and begin to turn a light amber color. Add the sugar and continue stirring until the sugar melts and begins to bubble. Clear a space in the center of the pan, pour the balsamic vinegar directly into the hot pan, and then stir the onions into the vinegar. Continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, until all the onions are coated, and then remove the pan from the heat.
• In a mesh strainer set over a clean saucepan, strain the onions, pressing them with a large spoon to release their juice, and wait a few minutes until they stop dripping. Return the strained onions to the saucepan in which they were cooked and set them aside.
• Bring the juice to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until thickened. This should take only a few minutes, so don't leave the pan unattended. As soon as the juice thickens into a honeylike syrup, remove it from the heat, pour it all back over the onions, and stir with a rubber spatula until they are coated with the syrup. Stir in the salt and pepper and let the onions cool.
• Transfer the mixture to a container, seal tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or transfer to sandwich-size resealable freezer bags and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost at room temperature before using.
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

NEW YORK MAPLE-WALNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the graham-cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and stir with a fork to combine. Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and sprinkle it with the cracker mixture, shaking any excess back into the bowl. Add the melted butter to the bowl and toss with a fork until the butter has moistened the crumb mixture. Scatter the crumbs evenly over the pan bottom and press into it using the bottom of a straight-sided glass. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool. Raise the heat in the oven to 500 degrees.
• With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix the flour with the remaining sugar and add it and half the maple syrup to the cheese in thirds, mixing after each addition. Add the eggs and the yolks to the batter one by one, beating after each addition. Add the heavy cream and mix again. Pour the batter into the crust and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 200 degrees and bake for an hour more. Turn off the oven, leave the door halfway open and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for a half-hour. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours and not more than 24.
• When ready to serve, heat the remaining maple syrup over low heat in a small saucepan until it bubbles and let simmer gently for 1 minute, until it has thickened slightly. Whisk in the cornstarch and turn off the flame. Add the walnuts and turn to coat. Spread them out on a piece of parchment paper to cool and harden into praline, then sprinkle over the cheesecake.

MAPLE-WALNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on a rack in the lower third of the oven; position another rack in the middle and preheat to 350 degrees F. Wrap the outside (bottom and side) of a 9-inch springform pan with foil. Make the crust: Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor a few times until crushed. Add the walnuts and brown sugar and continue pulsing until finely ground. Add the melted butter, nutmeg and salt and pulse to combine. Press into the bottom and about 1 inch up the side of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until nearly smooth, about 1 minute. Add the maple syrup and granulated sugar and beat until smooth, about 2 more minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Increase the speed to medium high and beat in the flour, heavy cream, lemon juice and maple extract until the filling is smooth and silky, about 1 more minute.
• Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Transfer the cheesecake to the oven, placing it on the middle rack directly over the water bath. Bake until golden and set around the edge but the center still jiggles slightly, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 5 hours or overnight. Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature 20 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge and remove the springform ring.

COFFEE & WALNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• To make the base, line a deep 20cm springform tin with baking parchment, then blitz the biscuits and walnuts to a fine crumb in a food processor or blender. Tip the crumbs into a heatproof bowl. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, then stir this in to create a wet, sandy texture. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and press it into the base. Put in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.
• For the filling, dissolve the espresso powder in 2 tbsp warm water. Put the soft cheese, icing sugar, vanilla and coffee in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour in the double cream and whisk everything together until the mixture has thickened. (Alternatively, you can whisk the double cream to soft peaks in a separate bowl, then fold this into the cheese mixture.) Spread the filling over the biscuit base using a spatula, pushing down gently as you do to ensure there are no gaps. Put in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hrs, or ideally overnight.
• To decorate, whip the double cream and icing sugar to soft peaks, then spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe swirls over the cheesecake, then top each swirl with a walnut. Crush any remaining walnuts and scatter over, if you like. Will keep chilled for up to two days.