THE ULTIMATE STILTON BLUE CHEESECAKE

It was to be my first Opera, Turandot at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco ,(as a young restless and rebellious adult, I said that opera was one I would never enjoy, but age caught up with me, with it a horizon broadened and an eagerness to experience forms of art personally uncharted.). While waiting for AC at Pia's ( remember my foodie extraordinaire friend from whom I get most of my tips of places to go for yummy finds) on her kitchen counter laid a seductive piece of dessert that has a perfect caramelized top that looked so enticingly delicious. When offered a to try it, I hesitantly accepted and said  "just a sliver please", well you see I am trying  to loose some poundage my dears.... Then I took a bite, and I tell you, the gates of culinary heaven opened up as my taste buds sent messages to my brain to release gazillion endorphins while the creamy salty sweetness melted in my mouth, ecstatic!!! you simply have to try this... 

Asked her for the recipe and she told me to look it up online and I believe this is it.

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STILTON BLUE CHEESECAKE

• 2 packages cream cheese at room temperature
• 12 ounces crumbled Stilton blue cheese, at room temperature
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoon clover or orange blossom honey
• pinch of kosher salt
• pinch of fresh cracked pepper
• ½ cup caramel topping
• water crackers

Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray an 8 inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then spray again. This is for easy handling.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Measure out ¼ cup of the blue cheese and set aside. To the remaining blue cheese, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the mixture off the sides of the bowl. Add the sour cream, honey, salt and pepper. Beat until combined, pour into the pan.

Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom tack in the oven, and place the cheesecake on the rack about it. Steam from the water will help prevent cracks in the cheesecake. Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Sprinkle the reserved blue cheese over the top of the cheesecake and bake at 10 to 15 minutes more, until lightly browned. Cool in the pan, to room temperature.

To serve, cut the cheesecake into wedges. Drizzle each plate with caramel, place the wedge on the plate. Serve with crackers if desired.

To be able to enjoy a Stilton cheesecake, this kind of dish is best paired with a great aged or a tawny Port Wine. It could also be taken with the king of sizzlers, because the cold and the fat content of the champagne just pairs very well with the cheesecake, and that’s a fact. On certain occasions though, a good Riesling is also recommended.

The recipe above can be served both ways, as a dessert with some fruit sauce as garnish or the caramel topping at the bottom as stated.. It can also be served as an appetizer accompanied with your favorite crackers or wafers.

But however you serve it, make sure to present it as appealing as possible. Because remember, you always eat with your eyes first. And most important, get your cheese from the best cheese shop, the Ideal Cheese Shop.


SOURCE OF ABOVE RECIPE/ARTICLE