baked warm roquefort cheesecake

Baked Warm Roquefort Cheescake

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

servings

Serves 4–6 as a main course (or serves 8 as part of a buffet or picnic)

A wobbly, cheesey delight that is similar to cheese soufflé when eaten warm, and could also be described as a pastry-less tart. Perfect eaten warm for lunch or supper, as well as cold for buffets and picnics, or cut up into bite-sized pieces for delicious warm or cold canapés. This cheesecake is very rich, so a little goes a long way. It also makes a very special vegetarian main course if you choose a vegetarian creamy blue cheese (such as Dolcelatte or Saint Agur) instead of Roquefort.

Cook Mode

ingredients

For the oatcake base 140g rough oatcakes, broken up 60g butter, softened at room temperature
25g walnut pieces
For the filling 250g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs
100ml double cream
100g Roquefort cheese, crumbled into assorted small and larger chunks
1 heaped tablespoon snipped chives
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 spring onions, finely sliced on a diagonal
nigella or onion seeds, for sprinkling
To serve: micro leaves or salad cress, to garnish (optional) topping suggestions, to serve (optional – see Hints & Tips)

directions

1. Line a shallow, loose-bottomed, 24cm fluted round tart tin with baking parchment (or foil-backed baking parchment), allowing the sides to come at least 2.5cm above the top of the tin to form a collar. Put onto a baking sheet.
2. For the oatcake base, put all the ingredients into a food-processor and process until they come together (or bash the oatcakes into crumbs, finely chop the nuts and mix both with the butter), then press evenly over the base of the tin (the bottom of a flat glass is useful for doing this). Transfer the tin (on the baking sheet) to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes or until the base has firmed up.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.
4. For the filling, put the soft cheese into a bowl, then gradually add the eggs, one at a time, whisking with a hand whisk or beating with a wooden spoon until smooth, before adding the next egg. Stir in the cream, followed by the crumbled Roquefort and the chives. Season with salt and pepper, bearing in mind the filling should be well seasoned.
5. Pour the mixture into the tin over the oatcake base, then scatter over the spring onions and a few nigella or onion seeds. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and just set around the edges, but barely set with a bit of a wobble in the middle. It will be risen like a soufflé but will sink down as it cools.
6. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes or until it shrinks away from the sides, then, if serving it warm, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin (see Hints & Tips) with the paper still in place around the cheesecake. If serving cold, leave to cool completely in the tin. Garnish with a few micro leaves or a little salad cress (if using) and serve the cheesecake as it is or with any of the topping suggestions, if you like.

Recipe Note

Get-Ahead:

Prepare to the end of Step 4 up to 3 days in advance.