Stilton and Sesame seed cookies
These are small, savoury biscuits and should be served as an appetizer with your aperitifs. Stilton is a classic, blue veined, semi hard English cheese with a fairly strong taste and quite salty. You can use other cheeses to replace it. Do choose ones with a distinct flavor and that are soft enough to mix in to a smooth paste.
It is essential to refrigerate this dough for an hour after mixing and before cooking.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter (softened out of the fridge for two or more hours) - 1 stick, 4oz
All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups
Cayenne pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
Stilton cheese - 4 oz, grated
Sesame seeds - 4 oz bag
No added salt - the cheese has sufficient itself
Coking oil - 1/2 teaspoon
Tools
Mixing bowl
Thin, sharp knife
Spatula
Two non-stick heavyweight baking sheets
Plastic sheet/ cling film - 6" wide * 12" long min.
Method
Grate the cheese and place to one side near where you are working.
Place the butter in the mixing bowl. Sift the flour over it and add the cayenne pepper.
Use the knife to start the mixing process by cutting the butter and flour mixture together. Then use your hands to rub the four and butter mixture until is it a uniform mix.
Tip in the grated cheese and rub until well mixed in. The mix is quite sticky at this point. Scrape it off your hands into the bowl and place to one side.
Wipe over your work surface with a damp cloth and then lay the plastic sheet or cling film on the damp surface. The moistness will hold it in place.
Using a paper kitchen towel, use the cooking oil to oil the surface of the sheet. This will prevent the dough from sticking to it.
Using the spatula (and/ or your hands) gather the cheesy dough into one piece and place it onto the plastic sheet, ideally as a sausage shape about 1 1/2" in diameter.
Place into the refrigerator for half an hour.
Spread sesame seeds on your work surface and remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll it in the seeds so it is well coated. Place it back in the plastic and return to the refrigerator for another half an hour. At the same time heat the oven to 350 degrees F , Gas Mk 3 (moderate oven).
Place your prepared baking sheets on your work surface. Remove the firm dough from the refrigerator and, using your sharp knife, cut the roll into disks between 1/8" and 1/4" thick. Place them on the sheet allowing a little room between each.
Place in the over for 8 to 10 minutes.
Allow to cool on the baking tray for five minutes and then, using your spatula, remove them to a cooling rack.
They move so fast you had better be ready to make a second batch!
This recipe is based on the one in Gary Rhodes' book "New British Classics".
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