Blue Christmas Cheese Cheesecake

“You’ll be doing all right

With your Christmas of white

But I’ll have a blue, blue, blue cheese Christmas. . .”

My husband loves blue cheese and there are plenty of excellent recipes out there for dressing this versatile cheese up or down. The following is one of the most beautiful presentations I have seen, and it is super-tasty to boot! It is best prepared the day before, to allow ample time to chill before serving. This recipe can be doubled for a crowd. . . maybe next year.

Preppin’

1/2 cup (75 grams) pecan or walnut halves

4 ounces (approximately 125 grams) of blue cheese (I used one pkg Castello Danablu 50+ in Belgium)

8 ounces (approximately 235 grams) of cream cheese (I used one 235 g pkg of Philadelphia in BE)

1/4 cup (approximately 60 grams) of sour cream or crème fraiche (I used half of a 125 g pkg from Albert Heijn)

1 – 2 Tablespoons (15 – 30 ml) chopped fresh chives

1 – 2 Tablespoons (15 – 30 ml) chopped fresh parsley

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon (15 ml) all-purpose flour

A small jar of apricot or pear preserves

 

Preparin’

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Spread pecans or walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet or shallow pan. Toast in the oven for approximately eight to ten minutes (remember to stir about halfway through the process!)

Once the nuts are a toasty brown, remove them from the oven and decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).

Prepare a springform pan (7 inches is preferred, but a 9 inch/23 cm one works too) by coating with baking spray and lightly dusting with flour.

Beat cream cheese, blue cheese, sour cream, chives, and parsley in a medium bowl using a stand or hand mixer until blended.

Add egg and beat until just blended.

Gently fold in the flour with a spoon.  

Pour cheese mixture into the prepared springform pan.

Bake at 325F (165C) for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheesecake is set. (If doubling the recipe it might take an hour).

Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover and chill for eight hours.

After chilling for eight hours, remove the sides of the pan. Transfer cheesecake to a platter and spoon apricot or pear preserves over the top and sprinkle with toasted nuts.

Serve with crackers and red grapes.