I struggle with what to make when a bunch of food bloggers get together. I want it to be good, really good. It’s not that they are a fussy crew, they just know good food and they are good people, so I want it to be special.
This past Saturday night a group of us got together to match some fabulous Sandbanks wine with food. I chose the Sandbanks Rose. I surprised myself. I am not a big Rose fan, but I like this one. A big mouthful of lovely fruit, it reminds me of summer.
So I decided on cheese, then remembered this fabulous savoury cheesecake I once had at this martini bar. Thought I would go ahead and create my own recipe and in my research came across an interesting one from one of my favourite blogs Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body. This Cheddar, Bacon and Chive Cheesecake was perfect, in fact it had me at bacon. I know these bloggers!
It was a hit, and despite my bringing crackers to spread it on, people were choosing to eat it as they would any piece of cheesecake, in a slice on a plate, but this time covered in crumbled bacon. Bacon Bliss. That is all.
With Julia’s permission and your eating pleasure I am posting the recipe below. You can also check out Julia’s version here (with much prettier pictures).
Oh, and how did the wine work with the cheescake? Both were good, but I don’t remember. Frankly ANY Sandbanks wine would have been a great match with this beauty (well, not sure about the Winter Harvest).
Ingredients
Crust
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
6 tbsp melted unsalted butter
Filling
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp flour
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of fresh cracked pepper
Topping
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
2 tbsp chopped chives (or green onions)
Water crackers, pita chips and apples slices for serving
*Why apple slices? Because apples and cheese are another FANTASTIC combo!
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with tin foil (this makes it really easy to transfer to a serving platter).
In a small bowl combine the parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and melted butter together. Mix thoroughly and pour into a 9 inch springform pan. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool while making the filling.
Increase oven to 400°F.
In large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the mixture off of the sides of the bowl. Add the cheddar, sour cream, chives, bacon, flour, salt and pepper. Beat until combined. Pour into the pan.
*Adding flour or cornstarch to cheesecakes helps prevent them from cracking while baking.
Bake 15 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 325 and bake for 1 hour (until the cheesecake is slightly golden brown and it doesn’t jiggle when you shake it).
*Do not open the oven door when you lower the temp. You don’t want the heat to escape.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool in the pan completely. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake before removing it. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before servings.
*Refrigerating cheesecake, savory or sweet, prior to serving allows the cheesecake to get firm and the flavors to really blend together. You can make them up to 3 days ahead of time and just keep them refrigerated until ready to serve.
Transfer the cheesecake to a serving platter and sprinkle with the toppings.
YUM!
I feel like I have committed a crime. This past weekend I took a favourite Julia Child recipe and put my own spin on it (I can see the purists cringing now, give me a break I am off caffeine and having some issues…).
the lemon kitchen 