Sweet, gooey soft cheese cased in flaky pastry is a cheese-lover’s delight. Serve it with a pear and leaf salad.
INGREDIENTS Serves 4-6
320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
Extra-virgin olive oil
400g shallots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves crushed
8 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
300g dolcelatte
150g cream cheese
100ml creme fraiche
Fine sea salt and black pepper
1½ tablespoons pine nuts
14 sage leaves
Pre Heat the oven to 190⁰C
Lay the pastry in the 23cm tart tin and use your fingertips to press it into the base, making sure you push it right into the corners and up the sides. Cut off any excess pastry and use to fill any gaps. Trim around the top.
Scrunch up a piece of parchment and place in the centre. Fill with baking beans, then bake for 15 minutes. Lift out the paper and beans, bake again for 10 minutes, until golden, then take out of the oven and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, put five tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat, then saute the shallots, garlic and thyme leaves for 15 minutes, until browning and starting to caramelise in places. Carefully drain the oil into a heatproof bowl, then stir in two tablespoons of the sauteed shallot mix.
Transfer the rest of the shallots to a large bowl, stir in the cheeses, creme fraiche, a big pinch of ground black pepper and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and whisk really well Sweet, gooey soft cheese cased in flaky pastry is a cheese-lover’s delight. Serve it with a pear and leaf salad.
Original Recipe Meera Sodha writing in the Guardian
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