Best Fig And Blue Cheese Savouries Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLES WITH GRAPE SYRUP ON FIG AND WALNUT BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Make brioche dough:
• Stir together water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Stir together flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar in bowl of mixer. Add yeast mixture and eggs and beat at medium speed until combined. Add butter and beat until dough is smooth and silky, 5 to 8 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.) Add figs and nuts and mix until combined. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar over dough, then cover bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Butter and flour loaf pan, knocking out excess flour. Stir dough with a wooden spoon to release air, then spread evenly in loaf pan. Cover pan loosely with plastic wrap and kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until it almost fills pan (dough will not rise above top of pan), 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.
• Make grape syrup while dough rises:
• Boil juice and wine in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over moderately high heat until syrupy and reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Bake brioche:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Turn brioche out onto a rack, then turn right side up and cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Make soufflés and assemble dish:
• Keep oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Brush molds with melted butter (1 tablespoon) and coat with nuts, knocking out excess.
• Bring milk and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk in flour until smooth and return to a boil over moderate heat. Remove from heat and vigorously whisk 1 minute, then whisk into yolks in a large bowl.
• Beat whites in another bowl with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir half of cheese into yolk mixture and fold in one third of whites to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Divide among molds and bake in a water bath until puffed and browned, about 30 minutes. Remove molds from water bath and cool on a rack 5 minutes.
• While soufflés are cooling, cut 3 (1/2-inch-thick) slices from brioche loaf, then halve each slice for a total of 6 (2-inch) squares. Reserve remainder of loaf for another use.
• Run a thin knife around edge of molds to loosen soufflés. Divide brioche squares among 6 plates and drizzle with some grape syrup, then top each with a soufflé. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve immediately.

PEAR, BLUE CHEESE, AND FIG NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Cut each pear lengthwise into 10 (1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick) slices (5 from one side, then 5 more from the opposite side), avoiding core and discarding rounded outermost slices.
• Layer 4 pear slices with cheese and fig on each of 4 plates, beginning with largest pear slices, and ending with smallest.
• Sprinkle any remaining cheese and fig around napoleons.

WARM BLACK MISSION FIG, WALNUT CRUNCH, AND BLUE CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For walnut crunch:
• Stir honey, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in medium skillet over medium heat until sugar melts. Cook until mixture boils and is deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Mix in walnuts. Pour out onto sheet of foil; cool completely. Chop walnut crunch into small pieces. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For figs and pastry:
• Stir 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and salt in heavy large skillet over medium heat until sugar is evenly moist. Cook until sugar begins to turn golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes (mixture may be granular). Place figs in sugar mixture, cut side down, and cook until figs begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Add butter; swirl skillet to melt. Remove skillet from heat. Add Port and let stand 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer figs to plate and cool. Return syrup to boil, whisking until smooth. Cool syrup completely. Do ahead Figs and syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Rewarm syrup before using.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Roll out thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 12x8-inch rectangle. Using 3 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 6 rounds; arrange on prepared sheet. Divide walnut crunch among pastry rounds. Top each with 3 fig halves, cut side up.
• Bake tartlets until pastry is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Do ahead Tartlets can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm at 350°F for 8 minutes.
• Arrange cheese atop warm tartlets. Brush or drizzle with warm Port syrup, then top with cube of honeycomb or drizzle with honey.