Sunday, December 13, 2009

Gleaned~

I love reading my watched blogs..they teach me so much..

Yesterday I had some time in the afternoon and prepared 2 little Christmas Hors d'Oeuvres..



Marie.. at The English Kitchen.. had posted about her little cheese puffs the day before..and then the Stiltons..I had everything on hand so I made both and they are both thumbs up..



They're delicious..I had some of my Habanero Gold in the fridge so used that as the filling..Mine had to stay in a bit longer..my oven is a tad off I think..

The Stilton ones..I only made one up to taste..DELICIOUS..and so pretty because the walnut sits perfectly atop the little cookie..No photo of that one but Marie's showcase them beautifully!



Thank you Marie~

The Stilton Recipe Courtesy of Marie..

Stilton and Walnut Shortbreads with an Indian Twist
*Stilton 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.

4 ounces of Stilton cheese at room temperature
3 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature
70g plain flour
30g corn flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
50g chopped walnuts
3 TBS cream cheese
3 TBS good quality mango chutney
36 small 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)


And the Cheese Puffs recipe courtesy of Marie~
Sweet Chili Cheese Puffs
*Sweet Chili Cheese Puffs*

Makes about 3 dozen

Short and savoury with a bit of a bite. These will be really popular on your nibble tray!

8 ounces extra strong cheddar cheese, grated
3 to 4 TBS of softened unsalted butter
145g plain flour
sweet hot chili sauce, or hot pepper jelly


Place the cheese, butter and flour in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Once this happens, allow the motor to run for 25 to 30 seconds until the dough forms a ball around the blade. Try not to overwork the dough. Remove from the bowl and chill for about 30 minutes, wrapped in cling film.

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F.

Pinch off walnut sized balls of the chilled dough and shape into balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly coloured, but NOT browned. Remove from the oven and immediately shape a small depression in the centre of each using the end of the handle of a large wooden spoon. Fill each depression with some chili sauce or hot pepper jelly, if using. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 7 mionutes, until golden browned on the bottoms. Cool slightly before serving.

Hot jelly and sauce can really burn, so be careful.

Stand back and await the applause.


This week I also gleaned these cute things..at Hélène and Guylaine's~

Merçi..



.....a one horse open sleigh~:)

I definitely need a big gingerbread man cutter:)

23 comments:

  1. Oh, my. These look wonderful. They remind me of the cheese crackers my grandmother used to make. They were very very special, and when she gave me the recipe she swore me to secrecy! I've since learned that almost every young Southern got the same recipe from her grandmother...

    ReplyDelete
  2. It compliments for the beautifulst blog and the strordinarie photos. Donatella from Italy

    ReplyDelete
  3. one horse open sleigh, you crack me up! and you have a big gingrebread man, just don't use the message~

    always perfect here, ahh heavy sigh~

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks!!
    Ciao Donatella..I loved Italy!! I watched Angels and Demons last night and was transported back in a moment!

    And Jain.. you are sooo smart!!!! I think he should be taller and thinner though:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I knew if I came for a visit something beautiful and delicious would catch my eye. Stilton and Walnut Shortbread looks delicious. I will certainly try, I wish I could now! Maybe for Christmas Eve. Your gingerbread men are sweet! Pam

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh this sounds so good, I must try it.
    I am trying the dove cookies, not having much luck, they seem to spread too much, I keep chilling the dough but I am having more bad than good, oh well, more for the Dutchman to snack on!!!
    I do think I may try this recipe instead!!!
    Hugs,
    Margaret B

    ReplyDelete
  7. Monique they really do sound good. I love the special little touches you add to your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ces hors-d'oeuvres semblent très bons. Parfait pour servir à des invités.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mmmm, your savory shortbread sounds so delicious and would be lovely with a nice glass of wine. How festive!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love your holiday decorations on your pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  11. They both sound wonderful, Monique. I've yet to make Habanero Gold (can you believe that?), but this may be the best opportunity I have to make it to top these little savory cookeis! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Saint-Nicolas est donc arrivé en traîneau chez toi ? ;o))
    Ici, je crois que le Père Noël va pouvoir arriver en traîneau aussi ... On n'est pas loin de la neige, même au bord de la mer !
    Bisous et bonne fin de journée
    Hélène

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh those look gorgeous...I would love one with a cocktail in about an hour!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hélène..:) Les miens font peur comparativement aux tiens:)

    Jacques a dit.."Oh lala"!:)...


    Il a bien aimé ta cocotte enrobée de pâte lutée..
    À suivre:)..

    Lori that Habanero Gold from Annie is a keeper and giver:)

    That little Stilton trio w/ the whole toasted walnut on top is definitely a Christmas Gift from Marie:)

    Pam.. the ornaments etc..are Photoshop Brushes..and I wholeheartedly thank the authors..

    The French Bear and your beautiful crafts:) Did you use Ina's shortbread? They never fail!

    Joyeuses Fêtes The Gypsy Chef~

    I hope you enjoy Marie and Hélène's recipes as much as we do~

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mmmm...yum! That looks so good. I was looking to bake something with cheese so this will be perfect. Thank you! Your photos are gorgeous as usual.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sigh, you can even make the recipe look pretty (the first photo)! The cookies are so adorable! Round and chubby, with a sweet treat in the middle. Yum! That one horse ope sleigh is hilarious! I burst out laughing at that ... what a great way to start the morning! Thank you, Monique! :))

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm like you and I saw this recipe, too, and thought I might make it for holiday entertaining!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am in the Stilton fan club! These sounds wonderful and I would love a ride in that sleigh ;)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Lovely selection. I love how you can find some wonderful recipes from all the regular blogs I read, too!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lovely nibbles..love the little cheese treats....n yes u can even make a printed out recipe from the internet look enchanting. It really made me smile in wonderment! :))

    ReplyDelete
  21. Julia..one day I hope to humbly try one of your precious macarons~ Exquisite..!
    Thank you and have a great day~

    ReplyDelete
  22. I can imagine these would just melt in your mouth. I wish you a very special holiday season!!There will certianly be no shortage of tempting treats.

    ReplyDelete
  23. You've made them look very good Nana! Thanks so much for trying them out and then posting about them! I am so happy you enjoyed them!

    ReplyDelete