A few weeks back the people from Barber's 1833 Vintage Cheddar sent me a pack which included everything in it to make Spinach and Cheese Souffles.   I love it when that happens.   I made the soufflees the very next day.  I just could not wait to make them.  Everything was so fresh and looked so good.



I am a very experienced cook as you know.   As I was making them I queried a part of the recipe, which didn't quite look right and I almost  went with my gut feelings and did it the way I thought it should be done . . . but then I thought  to myself, no . . . you need to do this the way "their" recipe says to do it and so that is what I did.



What I ended up with was some very tasty failures as soufflees. They were more like omelettes, and they took twice as long as the recipe stated to bake . . . they were not soufflees.  We ate them anyways, and they were good, but not near what they should have been.

 

I should have gone with my gut instincts and done what I thought in the first place, but live and learn.  I will not give you their recipe as it is in error.  I didn't have any spinach left to do more and had in mind to  buy some more and try again, but I just haven't gotten around to that, so today I picked another recipe from out of their booklet and made these . . .



Cheddar Cheese and Caraway Sables from on the Barber's 1833 Vintage site.   I thought they would make the perfect pre-dinner nibble for Valentine's Dinner.



They turned out beautifully.   The dough was quite sticky.  I ended up freezing it prior to slicing it for baking and that worked perfectly.  I used a very sharp knife.

 

They were crisp, and buttery and filled with lots of beautiful cheese flavours.  Success!   The caraway went very well with the cheddar.   We love these.




Bakein the heated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until pale golden brown and slightly puffed.  Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Note:  You can also freeze the dough, wrapped tightly in freezer proof paper.  I was able to cut it quite easily with a sharp knife from a frozen state, and they baked in the same amount of time.   They are so thin that the dough was completely thawed by the time I had sliced, brushed and sprinkled.



The Barber family have been farming and making cheese at Maryland Farm in Somerset since 1833.   It is always matured for a minimum of 24 months.  I do so hope that they are ok with all the flooding that's been going on in Somerset.

I found the  Barber's 1833 Cheddar   to be an exemplar product.It had a lovely flavour, intense, with a delicious depth to it.  It is kind of brittle with a somewhat crunchy texture from little crystals which are scattered throughout.  These are a result of it's long slow aging and only added to this lovely cheese's charm.



I would buy this cheese in a heartbeat!   It was easily one of the best cheddar's I have eaten since coming to the UK, and I have been able to try quite a few different ones.     This was to be perfectly honest . . . simply beautiful.

I've never made any secret of my love for pizza on here. I. LOVE. PIZZA. End of. I could eat it every day, all day . . . for breakfast, lunch or dinner!



Over the holidays I was food blog browsing and I found these tasty looking Pepperoni Pizza Puffs over on Lick The Bowl Clean. (Which is a very tasty blog I might add.) She, in turn, had adapted the recipe from one by Rachel Ray, who is an American cook who likes to create scrummy things for every day cooking. I have a few of her books in my library, but haven't tried any of her recipes yet . . . I wonder why? After baking these, I clearly need to take a second look at them!



These were incredibly easy to make. I didn't want to use meat in mine and so I substituted scrummy things like black and green olives, sun dried tomatoes and chopped red onion. I also pimped the cheese mixture by adding some strong cheddar and I made my own Italian spice mixture with basil, oregano, garlic and marjoram.



They are not muffins, even though they are baked in mini muffin tins. They are not quiches or frittatas. They are more like little mini yorkshire puddings . . . all crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with full on pizza flavour. They puff up really nicely in the oven. The resting time is a big clue . . . the best yorkshire puddings, that puff up the most, always require a resting time.



Your kitchen will smell like a pizzaria big time when you bake these, which will only make your pizza loving guests even hungrier. I was so surprised at how delicious they smelled when they were baking. Pleasantly surprised!



I like to make my own pizza sauce. The recipe is the result of years of testing and trialing, a recipe which you can find here. I do think it's the best . . . but then it was created by me and I am a bit biased. It makes enough for two full pizzas, but freezes well. Do feel free to use a store bought sauce if you would prefer, or even a tasty jar of really good prepared marinara sauce!



Pizza Puffs. Do try them. They rock.



*Pizza Puffs*
Makes 24 bite sized puffs
Printable Recipe

A tasty little appetizer that most people love. I have chosen to keep mine meatless, but you can add chopped pepperoni, or chorizo or cooked and crumbledbacon if you wish.

75g of plain flour (3/4 cup)
3/4 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of chilli flakes
4 fluid ounces of milk (1/2 cup)
2 fluid ounces cream (1/4 cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
120g of grated mozarella cheese (1 cup)
30g of grated strong cheddar cheese (1/4 cup)
45g of finely grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
85g of chopped mixed olives (I used green and black, the dry cured with herbs) (1/2 cup)
1/2 of a small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
a small handful of chopped sunblush dried tomatoes

To serve:
your favourite pizza sauce recipe, 1/2 cup
(reserve the rest for another use in the freezer)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 24 hold mini muffin pan. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices and cheeses. Beat together the egg, milk and cream. Stir this into the dry mixture. Fold in the chopped olives, onions and tomatoes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Spoon into the muffin tin, dividing it equally amongst them. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

Warm the pizza sauce through.

Serve the puffs warm along with the pizza sauce for dipping.



Over in The Cottage today, some Tortilla Veggie Melts for two.

Occasionally I like to spice things up here a bit in my kitchen. I am trying to empty my freezer right now, in preparation for moving in just TWO weeks, (Yikes!) and I ended up today with a couple packages of ground lamb that I wanted to use up.



I didn't really feel like making a Shepherd's Pie . . . I wanted something to tantalize our tastebuds.



I initially thought of Koftas, but then I settled on Kibbee. We love Kibbee. They are a delicious middle Eastern appetizer composed of ground lamb and spices. Cut into small diamonds, or shaped into little football shapes, they are delicious served warm with sour cream for dipping.



We had them as an entree, along with some garlic rice and steamed carrots.



mmmm . . . they may not be much to look at, but they be mighty tasty!



Try to imagine yourself sitting in a Bedoin tent in the middle of the desert as you are eating these . . . a gentle breeze stirring the leaves of the date palms on your little oasis, and camels softly snorting and shuffling in the sand nearby . . .

No, this is not typical English Food, but it's my kitchen and I can cook what I like in it. They do say that variety is the spice of life!!



*Baked Spiced Kibbee*
serves 8
Printable Recipe

A delicious middle eastern spiced meat dish, typically served as an appetizer. You can shape it into small shapes, or just bake it iin a square pan like I have. Scored before baking it very easily separates into small diamonds. We have it as a main course.

200g bulgar wheat
1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp all spice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 TBS olive oil
90g pine nuts
4 medium onions, peeled and minced
3 TBS butter, melted
Sour cream to serve (optional)

Cover the wheat with boiling water and let sit for about an hour soaking. Squeeze as much water out of it as you can and then put it into a clean bowl. Add the meat and seasonings. Knead and mix together for about 10 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and pine nuts. Cook and stir over medium low heat until golden brown. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F.

Divide the meat mixture in half. Press half of it into a buttered 8 inch square baking dish. Top with the onion/pinenut mixture, spreading it evenly over top. Spread the remaining meat over top, pressing it down evenly and smoothing it out. Run a spatula around the edges to form a bit of a gap between the meat and the edges. Dip the spatula in cold water and start making cuts lengthwise in the meat, evenly spaced about an inch apart. Go back over it crosswise, cutting it into diamond shaped pieces. Brush the melted butter evenly over top.

Bake the kibbee in the heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven, and separate into diamonds. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Here in the UK, we have some of the finest cheeses in the world.

Cheddar immediately springs to mind of course, and if you are thinking that there is only one kind of cheddar, then you would be sadly mistaken. There are as many types of cheddars as there are areas over here, each area seemingly having taken to producing their own variety and some of them are very good indeed. I love a good farmhouse cheddar myself.



Besides Cheddar, which ranges in strength from mild to very strong, there are lovely cheeses such as Wensleydale, which comes from the Wensleydale region in the Yorkshire Dales. (We were fortunate enough to have visited the factory there a few summers back) Red Leicester, which is a beautiful orange colour and wonderfully rich and creamy. Cornish Yarg, Double Gloucester, Sage Derby, Shropshire Blue, Lancashire . . . to name but a very few.

In truth, my absolute favourite has to be Stilton . . .



Quite rightfully known as the "King" of British Cheeses, Stilton claims it's name from a village just South of Peterborough . . . Smooth and creamy, with a beautifully complex flavour, this is one of our favourite cheeses to serve here at Oak Cottage during the Christmas season, indeed during any season.



It turns up in all kinds of shapes and forms . . . tis absolutely lovely nibbled with some crispy crackers, or on a cheese tray along with some sliced apples and golden pears. Crumbled into a tasty cauliflower soup, or on top of a cauliflower cheese . . . folded into a golden Potato Gratin . . .

Oh . . . it is so very lovely in all sorts of ways, hot or cold . . .

but . . . none lovelier than this wonderfully unique nibble, which combines some purely British tastes and textures . . .



A crispy, buttery and tangy stilton flavoured shortbread base, filled with the toasted crunch of rich walnuts . . . then, topped with creamy philadelphia cheese and a tasty dollop of sweet and spicy mango chutney . . . a leftover taste from our Colonial days in India. The toasted walnut garnishing the top is the perfect capper.



You will really enjoy these. You can bake the little shortbreads well ahead of time and keep them in the freezer, warming them up and topping them with the cream cheese and chutney just prior to serving.

These are fabulous, simply fabulous. These will truly be the jewels of your Holiday Nibble Trays.



*Stilton and Walnut Shortbreads with an Indian Twist*
Makes 36
Printable Recipe

These tasty and savoury shortbreads are truly delicious even on their own, but when you marry them with the soothing creaminess of soft cheese and the tangy spicness of a good mango chutney, well, it truly is a marriage made in heaven! These are always the first to dissappear off the Hors D'oeuvres trays.

4 ounces of Stilton cheese at room temperature
3 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature
70g plain flour
30g corn flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
50g chopped walnuts
3 TBS cream cheese
3 TBS good quality mango chutney
36 small walnut halves, toasted (for garnishing)

Put the blue cheese and butter into the bowl of a food processor. Process together until creamy. Whisk the flour, corn flour, pepper and salt together in a small bowl. Add to the creamed mixture in the food processor and pulse to combine. Add the chopped walnuts and pulse just until incorporated. You still want there to be little discernable chunks of walnuts. Do NOT overprocess.

Remove the mixture from the food processor and shape into a flattened disc. Wrap well in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or until firm.

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the chilled dough on a piece of cling film. Cover with another piece of cling film. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 of an inch thick. Remove the top piece of cling film and cut into 1 inch fluted circles with a sharp cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough scraps together and press back into a disk, roll out and repeat until all the dough is used up , placing each on the baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between each one.

Bake until lighty brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on wire racks to cool. You can do this much several days ahead if you wish.

When you are ready to serve them. Top each biscuit with a tsp of the creamed cheese and then an equal amount of the chutney. Finally place a toasted walnut on top of each. Serve. (Don't top with the toppings until you are ready to serve them)