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Stilton-Bacon Cheesecake
August 10, 2011
My sister and her husband have the Fat Olives Restaurants in Washington and Alaska. They often do wine dinners and special events, and Lisa recently dazzled her guests with this savory-sweet cheesecake. It’s incredibly easy to put together, and has three of life’s best things all rolled into one: Stilton (ain’t called the King of Cheese for nothing, baby!), bacon (obviously appealing), and cake. It works equally well as an appetizer, served with a fruit-forward Pinot Noir, or with a Tawny Port for dessert. Yum!
Stilton-Bacon Cheesecake
Serves 6
4 T. butter
1 c finely crushed graham crackers
8 strips of bacon
8 oz cream cheese (softened at room temp)
4 oz Stilton blue cheese (softened at room temp)
½ c walnuts, finely chopped
¾ c Mango Chutney
Pretty young spring greens or flowers for garnish (optional)
For the crust: Grease 6 two inch ring molds with 1 T of butter and set the molds on a cookie sheet. Melt the remaining butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs. Divide the crumb mixture evenly amongst the ring molds and press firmly to form a firm base in each mold. Chill for one hour.
For the filling: Cook the bacon until crisp and put it on paper towels to soak up extra grease. Finely chop 6 of the strips, and set other 2 aside for garnish. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and Stilton. Add the diced bacon and chopped walnuts, and stir well. Pack this mixture into the chilled molds, pressing it firmly to avoid air bubbles. Smooth the tops and cover with plastic. Chill thoroughly, at least three hours.
To serve: Run a thin metal blade around each ring, and slide each cheesecakes (crust on bottom) onto a small plate. Cut the remaining 2 pieces of bacon into thirds and garnish each cake with a piece. Spoon some Mango chutney onto the side, and arrange the lettuce or flowers attractively around the base.
La la!
