Fig And Stilton Blue Cheese Squares For Anytime Food

FIG & BLUE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Tip the flours into a food processor with ½ tsp salt and the diced butter. Pulse until you can't feel any lumps, then tip in the walnuts. Mix the egg yolks with 3 tbsp cold water, then dribble this into the machine while you pulse again until the pastry comes together. Tip the pastry out onto a floured surface, lightly bring it together into a ball, then roll out and line a deep 20-23cm tart tin with overhang. The pastry may crack, but just patch it back together, then cover and chill for 1 hr.
• To make the filling, melt the remaining butter in a large pan, then add the shallots and soften for 10-15 mins, until golden and squishy. Stir in the thyme for 1 min, then remove from the heat. Beat the eggs in a jug with the crème fraîche and cream. Crumble in the cheese and season with pepper and a small amount of salt.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Blind bake the pastry for 20 mins, remove the baking beans and paper, then bake for a further 15-20 mins until golden and sandy. Reduce the oven temp to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add the cooled onions to the cream mixture and pour into the case. Sit the fig halves on top, cut side up, sprinkle with some more thyme and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr-1hr 10 mins until the tart is browning and has a slight wobble - the cheese middle will firm up on sitting. Cool for about 15-20 mins, then remove from tin and serve with a green salad.

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED FIGS AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat grill. You will need medium to high heat for grilling. The key is to crisp the prosciutto quickly and leave the blue cheese just melted with the inner part of the fig cool in temperature.
• Cut the figs in half and place a piece of blue cheese on each fig half. Wrap the prosciutto around each fig half, covering the cheese. The ends of the prosciutto should overlap.
• Grill each piece until the prosciutto begins to color and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm.

FIG SQUARES

Steps:

• For baking: 1 egg, beaten For dough, in a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add 1/4 pound soft butter and work finely into flour. Cut cold butter into 1/2 pieces and add to bowl. Work in until butter is left pea-sized. Drizzle water over mixture and toss in. If dough is dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Dough should be loose in bowl, not in a ball. Turn out onto work surface and pull together. Divide into 2 equal portions, flatten each slightly, and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour before rolling. (Refrigerate up to 3 days, freeze up to 6 months.) For the fig filling, in a large saucepan, combine all but 1/3 of the grated zest and butter, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until fruit is soft and liquid thickened. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add butter and puree to blend. Add remaining zest and pulse in. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. To assemble and bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 11 by 17-inch baking sheet (up to 12 x18) with parchment paper. Remove one of the wrapped pieces of dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Roll dough on a floured surface into a rectangle to fit the bottom and sides of the baking sheet. Line the sheet with the dough. Place the baking sheet in the freezer while the second piece of dough is rolled out in the same way. Remove baking sheet from freezer and spread fig filling evenly over the surface of the dough. Top with the second sheet of dough and pinch the edges to seal. Trim the excess dough. Brush surface of dough with beaten egg. Prick through the top layer of dough with a fork evenly over the surface (about 1 1/2 apart.) Place baking sheet on bottom rack of oven. Bake 25 to35 minutes, until dough is a light-medium golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut into portions (squares are traditional.)

FIG AND STILTON (BLUE CHEESE) SQUARES FOR ANYTIME

Steps:

• about 30 mins. Preheat oven 375D. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange 12 squares on sheet and cover with more parchment paper. Top the squares with another baking sheet, bottom side down. Bake squares for about 35 mins until pastry is golden. Transfer squares to a rack to cool. Repeat to bake remaining squares.
• Return as many cooled squares as will fit to a baking sheet. Top each square with 1/2 tsp of fig mix. Sprinkle with Stilton or blue cheese and bake about 5 mins until cheese is melted. Serve warm or room temp.
• Make Ahead: The unbaked frozen pastry squares can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Enjoy they really are good.

STILTON & FIG SALAD WITH HONEY-THYME DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Put the honey and thyme leaves in a small pan, then gently warm together for 2 mins - the honey shouldn't get hot enough to bubble. Set aside to cool. Make a dressing by whisking together the cider vinegar and rapeseed oil with some seasoning.
• To serve, gently toss the chopped hazelnuts, fennel and rocket with the dressing. Divide the cheese between 4 plates, add a fig half to each, then a pile of the salad. Finally drizzle the thyme-infused honey over the figs and cheese.

FIG AND STILTON SALAD WITH PORT WINE DRESSING

Steps:

• Whisk first 10 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. (Dressing can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Bring vinaigrette and figs to simmer in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Simmer until dressing is slightly syrupy, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide greens among 6 plates. Sprinkle cheese over greens. Ladle warm dressing and figs over salads and serve.

WARM BLACK MISSION FIG, WALNUT CRUNCH, AND BLUE CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For walnut crunch:
• Stir honey, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in medium skillet over medium heat until sugar melts. Cook until mixture boils and is deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Mix in walnuts. Pour out onto sheet of foil; cool completely. Chop walnut crunch into small pieces. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For figs and pastry:
• Stir 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and salt in heavy large skillet over medium heat until sugar is evenly moist. Cook until sugar begins to turn golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes (mixture may be granular). Place figs in sugar mixture, cut side down, and cook until figs begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Add butter; swirl skillet to melt. Remove skillet from heat. Add Port and let stand 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer figs to plate and cool. Return syrup to boil, whisking until smooth. Cool syrup completely. Do ahead Figs and syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Rewarm syrup before using.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Roll out thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 12x8-inch rectangle. Using 3 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 6 rounds; arrange on prepared sheet. Divide walnut crunch among pastry rounds. Top each with 3 fig halves, cut side up.
• Bake tartlets until pastry is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Do ahead Tartlets can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm at 350°F for 8 minutes.
• Arrange cheese atop warm tartlets. Brush or drizzle with warm Port syrup, then top with cube of honeycomb or drizzle with honey.

FIG AND STILTON SQUARES

Steps:

• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 16-by-11 1/2-inch rectangle. Trim to form a 10 1/2-by-15-inch rectangle. Transfer the pastry to a large rimmed baking sheet and cut into 1 3/4-inch squares; you should have about 48. Freeze the squares until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange 12 squares on the sheet and cover with more parchment paper. Top the squares with another baking sheet, bottom side down. If you have another pair of baking sheets, repeat with 12 more squares. Bake the squares for about 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Transfer the squares to a rack to cool. Repeat to bake the remaining squares. Return as many cooled squares as will fit to a baking sheet. Top each square with 1/2 teaspoon of the fig preserves. Sprinkle with the Stilton and bake for about 5 minutes, until the Stilton is melted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BAKED BLUE CHEESE WITH FIGS & WALNUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut a cross in the tops of the figs nearly, but not quite, all the way down to the bottom, and pinch the bases. Sit in a baking dish or roasting tin (big enough so the figs can sit in a single layer with the whole cheese) cut-side up, but don't put the cheese in yet.
• Mix together the vinegar and wine or grape juice with some seasoning, and pour all over the figs. Scatter over the walnuts and thyme. Finally, drizzle over the honey. Bake for 15-20 mins until the figs start to become soft and sticky.
• Tuck the whole cheese in among the figs and put back in the oven for a final 5 mins. Lift the dish straight to the table and serve with lots of crusty bread to scoop up the molten cheese.