These versatile savoury cheesecakes can be served warm as a starter or as a light lunch. They’re also fantastic served cold as part of a picnic.
Serves 6
For the base:
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- 100g white breadcrumbs
- 30g oats
- 50g broken walnuts
- 50g melted butter
- Black pepper
For the filling:
-
- 3 large eggs
- 175g blue cheese, crumbled
- 350g cream cheese
- 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- 6 finely sliced spring onions
- 50g chopped chives
- 2 large garlic cloves, roasted and chopped
- Black pepper
- 6 walnut halves
For the relish:
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- 2 large ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and diced
- 150g cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 100ml of water
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Good pinch of sea salt
1. For the cheesecakes, preheat your oven to 170C / Gas 3-4.
2. Line the bottom of six 9cm ramekins. Mix the base ingredients together and press into the six ramekins, bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 mins, remove and cool.
3. Beat together the filling ingredients and pour into the ramekins.
4. Place the walnut halves on top, and press down slightly.
5. Bake for 30 mins, reducing the temperature if browning.
6. Cool and pop them out of the ramekins. Serve slightly warm or cold.
7. For the relish, combine all the ingredients bar the lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a simmer stir occasionally until cranberries have broken down and pears are tender (around 30 minutes).
8. Remove and stir in the lemon juice, and set aside to cool. This sweet, tangy relish can be served hot or cold.
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