There’s nothing better than a good creamy blue cheese and I love it with cake. Old fashioned date and walnut roll is perfect. I’ve also included a sweet sticky Pedro Ximinez syrup too. It’s the perfect cheese plate!
This is the perfect cheese plate Date Walnut and Blue Cheese – Pedro Ximinez Syrup
When I was traveling in Asia, I really missed cheese. You think perhaps I could just wait for a while and then eat it at home, but the trouble was I was trotting round Asia for several years, and at times the urge to eat cheese was just too great. I had to settle for Kraft cheese, you know the one you can buy that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. What in the hell do they put in that?. This is the type of cheese that a lot of our older Australian s grew up on, before ” new Australians” started importing decent cheese through shear exasperation. Can you imagine why they had to start making there own ricotta and mascapone…..or why small cheese artisans have popped up all over Australia and New Zealand. These days we have the opportunity to eat cheeses from all over the world, made from all manner of milk ( thank God the human breast milk trend has not taken hold here… yet).
With all of the innovations in food you’d think that somebody else may have considered rethinking the cheese plate. Cheese needs to be free to hang out with other foods that love it, not just apples and crackers. I have as you may have noticed mentioned this before ( several times). Our cheese choices are expanding, the flavours are becoming more diverse as this happens. Cheese is being supplied in better condition ( mostly) and there are no shortage of adventurous diners. No more Kraft shelf stable…. except in Laos or Cambodia where refrigeration is a luxury.
Goat / cow curds are an easy savoury or sweet cheese to work with, but blue cheese so loves the sweet life too. Honey, caramel or syrups made with fruits are happy to work with a Blue . Once again, don”t forget that fresh goat cheeses work beautifully with chocolate. Blue cheese is not for every one, but it can be exciting if you think outside the box. I have a friend that loves blue cheese. She has it for breakfast on toast with apricot jam. When we go to restaurants she never wants dessert she wants to see the cheese menu. I just wish they’d make it more interesting. I am doing my bit.
The combination above is Forme d’Ambert with date and walnut toast cosying up to dates in Pedro Ximenez syrup. This blue cheese is very creamy and not too pungent but you could use any blue cheese you like. The secret to its success is a warm and crispy date roll and the sweet and sour taste of the dates.
A cheese plate can be as exciting as a sweet dessert.
Date Walnut Roll, Blue Cheese- Pedro Xinimez Syrup
Ingredients
- 250 gm chopped dates
- 220 gm brown sugar
- 60 gm butter
- 300 gm self raising flour 2 cups
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 100 gm walnuts
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 250 gm water 1 cup water
- 6 pcs dates
- 125 ml Jimenez sherry vinegar 12 year old sweetish and good quality
- 250 ml water 1 cup
- 150 gm sugar 3/4 cup
- 2 toasted walnuts per plate
- I served mine with slices of forme d'ambert a creamy blue cheese from france
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F
- Combine the dates, sugar, butter and 250 ml water in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat till melted, without boiling. Remove from the heat and cool.
- Sift the flour and baking powder and soda into a bowl and mix in the date mixture and walnuts
- Pour this mixture into a 2 x greased nut roll pans ( if using ) 1/2 full. Cover with lids
- Bake standing upright for 30-35 minutes.
- Cool before removing.
- To serve: Dates in Ximenez Syrup
- Put the vinegar, sugar and water into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the whole dates .
- Turn down and simmer until the liquid is reduced and thickened.
- Taste the syrup, making sure that it is both sweet and sour. You may need to tweak it a little
- Do not reduce the syrup too far as it will caramelise and set. Refrigerate
- Cut a slice of date loaf for each plate. Warm a non stick fry pan over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan and add the date loaf. Toast or brown on each side, keeping them warm until all are done. Serve with a piece of cheese, dates and walnuts.
- This combination can also be served with a triple cream cheese or a goat cheese , fresh or semi hard.
Notes
Nut roll tins are round tubes. If you cant find them use a loaf tin.
12 year old sherry vinegar
Here’s some other cheese inspiration
I missed cheese when I lived in Japan. There just wasn’t the range there is in Australia although thankfully it wasn’t that strange Kraft concoction! 😛