cheese

Comté, Pancetta & Fig Mac N Cheese

- Michael 4 Comments

Comte, Pancetta & Fig Mac N Cheese

I love cheese. A lot of you know I’ve dabbled a lot with vegetarianism lately and that’s been going pretty well. Cheese is the main thing that stops me going the whole hog and properly attempting being vegan though. But enough of that, today I made the greatest Mac N Cheese of my life. I mean even better than the Mac N Cheese Pizza Pie. It was full of flavour, rich in colour and 100% completely winged. Most of my mac n cheese meals are but this one I took it a bit further. Throwing in a number of extras but using less types of cheese than I usually do. Read more

Blackberry Cheesecake Brownies

- Michael 1 Comment

Blackberrry Cheesecake Brownies

I realised earlier that I’ve only done one recipe post in the whole of 2016, and hey, that’s just not on. I’ve talked about adventuring, looked back at what 2015 had to offer when it came to eating, baking and music, but I’ve only done one measly recipe post. I mean it was a pretty great recipe, and you should go and check it out if you haven’t already, but to say I’ve baked a few bits I should have blogged more. In my own defense I had no internet, and then I moved house. So both of those things combined have made for a turbulent and not necessarily productive few weeks. I’ve packed my life into boxes again, unpacked a chunk of it, done some DIY, unpacked more of it, and in amongst that still been baking. The kitchen stuff was of course first priority and not just for me. My new housemate has a taste for cake and I’m pretty sure it’s the main reason he’s let me move into his spare room.

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Mini Spinach & Ricotta Quiches and a Picnic

- Michael 11 Comments
Spinach, Ricotta & Chorizo Quiches
A miniature victoria sponge with cream and blackcurrant jam
Pouring Prosecco
Quiches and the cooler of dreams: Gin & Brie
Mini Victoria Sponges

 

It’s absolutely glorious outside, so here I am sat inside blogging. I say that but I’ve spent the last couple of days outside making the most of it and I’m simply inside now as it’s Sunday evening and the Women’s World Cup is on. Last weekend, when it was momentarily warm on the Saturday, I squeezed in a picnic with some friends in Finsbury Park. It was a good excuse to try out my rather nifty new picnic basket (sent to me by the guys and gals across at Joules) and for me to do some summer baking. I opted to make mini spinach, ricotta and chorizo quiches and some mini victoria sponges.

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Blue Cheese & Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich

- Michael Leave a comment
Blue Cheese Grilled Cheese

Fuck Man, cheese. It’s the one. Also blue cheese. Sometimes I get cravings for it. I may have covered that before when I put up my blue cheese scone recipe. But it’s something I could easily chat about for ages. I often find myself sat with friends just talking cheese and realise that a good 45 minutes has gone past. I also really like bacon. Bacon is good. Basically what I’m trying to say is that I’m really good with hangover/comfort food. The other day I made an awesome 3 cheese & chorizo mac’n’cheese (I’m going to put the recipe up for that soon) and I had some leftover blue. So what did I do? Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Stuffed with blue cheese, mozzarella, basil and bacon.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I used my frying pan for this, and it came out wonderfully. It’d work a number of other ways. Toastie machine, grill etc. Just make sure you both sides are golden and that the cheese has reached that wonderful gooey stage. There isn’t much more I can say about this other than: MAKE THE FUCK OUT OF THIS.

Blue Cheese & Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich
 
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Author:
Serves: 1 Sandwich
Ingredients
  • 2 Slices of bread, buttered on one side of each slice (I used white)
  • Blue cheese (I used Stilton)
  • 5-6 pieces of Mozzarella (Sliced off a ball)
  • 3-4 Basil leaves
  • 4 Bacon Rashers, fried (I used streaky)
Instructions
  1. Heat up a non stick frying pan.
  2. While it's heating up form the sandwich. The buttered sides need to face outwards. Layer blue cheese, mozzarella, basil and bacon. Making sure that there is a layer of cheese either side of the bacon/basil.
  3. Place on the warm pan, butter side down. Leave to fry for about 90 seconds, making sure it doesn't stick to the pan.
  4. Flip and fry for 30 seconds, then check that both sides are cooked. They should be golden brown.
  5. Press down while it's frying to help push the cheeses together.
  6. Slice down the middle and serve
 

Blue Cheese Scones

- Michael 2 Comments

 

I’ve waffled on about my parent’s holiday cottage on Mull several times now. It makes me happy, alright? The very first booking is imminent and my parents went up the other week for one last weekend of making sure everything was in order and the house was ready for guests to stay in. It made me realise I’ve not been up in about 4 months, which I hate, especially as now it’s completely booked up I don’t get to go again until August. Anyway, my Mother bought me back a wedge of Hebridean Blue from the Isle of Mull Cheese Company. It won silver in the world cheese awards a number of years ago and it’s by far the best cheese I’ve ever eaten (blue cheese is the best cheese, end of discussion). I thought this would be a great chance for me to bake something full of the stuff… but er, I kinda ate the whole thing, in a few days… Oh well, my intentions were good, so I bought myself another wedge of blue (less good, but still served its purpose wonderfully).

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So then I had to decide what I actually wanted to make, bread? Tartlets? Muffins? I decided on Scones. I realise I’d not made scones since last year when I made my Chorizo and Smoked Cheddar Scones after a trip to York food festival (which I thought I’d written up but apparently never did, whoops!). Savory scones are definitely the best kind of scones, in my opinion at least. Blue cheese works wonderfully well, especially when you add something like caramelised onion. All these need with them is some chutney and perhaps some soup and they are perfect for a snack. Why not wash ‘em down with a bottle of real ale and a pork pie? Now I want a pork pie, someone bring me a pork pie.

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Blue Cheese Scones
 
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Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 115g (plus 2 tablespoons for the onions) cold butter, divided
  • 2 medium onions, finely diced
  • Salt and black pepper to season
  • 255g all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon baking soda
  • 90g Blue Cheese (crumbled)
  • 180ml Buttermilk (they sell it in M&S, only place I’ve found in Leeds center that does)
  • 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 220°C(200°C fan assisted) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  2. Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a pan and fry the onions over a medium to high heat until the start to brown at the edges. Reduce to a low heat and cook for a further 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t cash. They’ll be soft and caramelised by the time it’s done. Set aside and allow to cool.
  3. While the onions are cooking whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda. Incorporate the butter in to the flour mixture, do this using your fingers, a fork or an electric mixer. Combine until it resembles coarse bread crumbs/meal.
  4. Once the onions are done and cooled slightly, add them, along with the blue cheese and buttermilk to the flour mixture and fold to form a dough. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour.
  5. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and roll out into a square that’s roughly 20cm x 20cm. Divide in to 8 matching portions and transfer them to prepared baking tray. Brush the top of each one with the beaten egg, this will help them glaze.
  6. Place in the middle of the oven and cook until they are golden brown. This should be around 15 minutes. Remove and transfer to a rack. Best served fresh but they’ll last a couple of days after in a sealed container.

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