Sunday 16 September 2007

Blue Cheese and Walnut shortbreads



*Blue Cheese And Walnut Shortbreads with an Indian Twist*
Makes 36

These tasty and savoury shortbreads are truly delicious even on their own, but when you marry them with the soothing creaminess of soft cheese and the tangy spicness of a good mango chutney, well, it truly is a marriage made in heaven! These are always the first to dissappear off the Hors D'oeuvres trays.

1/2 cup of sharp blue cheese (such as cashel blue or maytag) at room temperature
3 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
3 TBS cream cheese
3 TBS good quality mango chutney
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted (for garnishing)

Put the blue cheese and butter into the bowl of a food processor. Process together until creamy. Whisk the flour, corn flour, pepper and salt together in a small bowl. Add to the creamed mixture in the food processor and pulse to combine. Add the chopped walnuts and pulse just until incorporated. You still want there to be little discernable chunks of walnuts. Do NOT overprocess.

Remove the mixture from the food processor and shape into a flattened disc. Wrap well in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or until firm.

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the chilled dough on a piece of cling film. Cover with another piece of cling film. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 of an inch thick. Remove the top piece of cling film and cut into 1 inch fluted circles with a sharp cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough scraps together and press back into a disk, roll out and repeat until all the dough is used up , placing each on the baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between each one.

Bake until lighty brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on wire racks to cool. You can do this much several days ahead if you wish.

When you are ready to serve them. Top each biscuit with a tsp of the creamed cheese and then an equal amount of the chutney. Finally place a toasted walnut on top of each. Serve. (Don't top with the toppings until you are ready to serve them)

5 comments:

  1. What a great post Marie! I loved the poem and confer with the sentiments!

    I also love that you are making memories for people who visit and eat your delicacies. I bet the memories linger on for years and years!

    I have a pecan, cayenne shortbread that I love to use as a base for canapes as well, but can't wait to try your blue cheese and walnut variant. It looks so divine!

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  2. I'm saving this one Marie, it's sounds lovely. I have my posponed wine and cheese gathering soon so I will give them a whirl then. I will let you know how they went.

    Blue Zebra - pecan and Cayenne sound interesting!

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  3. Marie, Love the poem. I have the opposite problem now that there are only 2 of us and the dog. I was used to cooking large quantities and now I have to adjust. Not having much luck so I give a lot of food to friends :)

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  4. Your quiet prose, your photographs, your recipes all elegant and very beautiful. You make me feel like a little child pressed up against the gate, staring with wonder.

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  5. MMMMMM...lovely special appetizers!! Yum!

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Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!