Creamy Blue Cheese Tart, Quince and Walnuts

This deep dish Blue Cheese Tart is made with a soft creamy blue and lots of Quince past. I can tell you now that people go wild for this combination. So you should probably make it

What type of Cheese to use for a creamy Blue Cheese Tart

This creamy Blue Cheese Tart with Quince and walnuts is a real beauty. The cheese I’ve used is a very creamy style blue and it is usually a favourite with lots of people, even the blue cheese hating ones. The cheese I used was a Blue D’Affinois. This is a triple cream with hints of blue. I suspect you could probably make this with a creamy Costello blue or a Shades of Blue from Tarargo Cheese Co.in Gippsland Victoria. Or see substitutes in the recipe.

Cooking your Blue Cheese Tart

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a square tin, but I just love this shape for a savoury tart. You can see it is quite deep so if you used a tart tin that was larger in diameter you could make this in that too. Just remember the cooking time will be shorter because it won’t be as deep. You need to use the tips of your fingers to lightly press the centre and it needs to have a lot of wobble and give. Or, you could just give the tart a little shake and take it out when just set.

This above is a Bleu d’Affiniois. Extremely creamy with pin pricks of blue.  If you can actually resist eating it then make this tart. This is the way I love to serve a cheese course and it isn’t usually what people expect at all, yet it brings out the character of the cheese. The crunchy base takes the place of biscuits and crackers and each mouthful is loaded up with quince and walnuts all ready!

Creamy Blue Cheese Tart with Quince and Walnuts

You can make this tart in a different shaped tin. I love a square tin but aim to use a 20 cm or 23 cm that's a 9 to 10 inch round or square tin or individual cases.

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Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 300 gm plain flour
• 150 gm butter
• 1 Egg beaten
• 100 ml water cold

Filling

• 300 gm d'Affinios Bleu another creamy soft blue cheese
• 2 whole egg yolks (70 gm).
• 2 whole large eggs 70 gmlarge
• 300 ml thickened cream high butterfat pouring cream
• 150 gm walnuts gm toasted
• 150 gm Quince paste or Marmalade
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

 

• Set the oven to 180 C / 350 F to bake the pastry first. Then the temperature will have to be turned down to cook the filling
• Place the flour and butter into the food processor and process together. Beat the 1 egg for the pastry with the cold water then add most of the egg mixture to the food processor when it is stopped (reserve about a teaspoon), keeping aside a small amount, process until a ball forms. The extra water is just in case the pastry is a bit crumbly and doesn't form into a ball. You will most likely not need it. A crisper pastry is formed with less water.
• Turn onto a bench flatten and wrap in plastic, rest in the refrigerator 30 min.
• Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line the tin with the pastry pushing it into the corners and trimming if you like. I like to leave the trimming till it is baked so there is no shrinking.
• REST again, 20 minutes. Bake the case filled with baking beans or rice for 15 minutes then remove the paper and beans and bake till golden. Cool slightly and trim the sides if doing this now.
• Turn the oven down to 160 C or 320 F
• Spread the quince onto the bottom of the tart case very carefully. Cracks will cause leaks and leaks will cause heartache. Sprinkle over the walnuts.
• Discarding the rind of the cheese, place blobs of it all over the base of the tart case ( as shown).
• Mix the eggs and thickened cream combining very well, and add a sprinkling of salt.
• Pour this carefully between the blobs of blue cheese
• Return to the oven and bake for approximately an hour. The tart will turn a lovely golden yellow colour but will probably be quite soft and wobbly. It will firm up as it cools. Don't be tempted to cook it until it is set. This will mean that you will have to cut it with a band saw
• Eat straight away or refrigerate in a covered container in the fridge.

Notes

You can even mix cream cheese with a stronger blue to make this tart as well. If your blue is quite strong mix it half and half with the cream cheese and mix well together

Try this blue cheese recipe too. Raviolo Blue Cheese sage and Pancetta.