A Month-of-Appetizers: Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries

Here we go again with that umami taste moderated this time with a sweet. This recipe is a cousin to the cheese puffs shared earlier this month.

My writing critique partner told me about this treat she had at a writing group meeting she attended. The savouries had apricot jam in the thumbprint depression, not figs. She went on-line to find a recipe, knowing me oh-so-well! Savouries, by the way, fit in the food category with salty or spicy foods.

She handed this recipe for Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries over to me from The Runaway Spoon and posted at Food52 (http://food52.com/recipes/8010-fig-and-blue-cheese-savouries). I went on-line and found a variety of recipes for blue cheese thumbprint crackers. The main difference seems to be in the amount of butter used. This one is half what another site calls for.

Obviously one can modify the filling to fit individual tastes. And how pretty would that tray be if you put a variety of fillings in them? Imagine strawberry, lemon curd, and blueberry! It makes three dozen so there are lots of ways to fill them. Cheese and fruit is a natural pairing, so go ahead and experiment to find the flavor and color combo you like best. I included the recipe as written from the website. But play with it. I did!

Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries (about 3 dozen)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Ground black pepper

Fig preserves, about 3 Tablespoons

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the flour, butter, blue cheese and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull the dough together. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick with a floured rolling pin. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch cutter and transfer the rounds to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Using the back or a round half-teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indentation in the top of each dough round. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon of fig preserves into each indentation, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentations.

Bake the savouries for 10 – 14 minutes, until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom.

Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, the remove to a wire rack to cool.

You’ll find fig preserves at the grocery – it may be shelved with the “fancy” jams and jellies. You can make these a day ahead and keep them in two layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.

DH’s Rating: 4 Tongues Up  He liked blue cheese well enough, but he preferred the cheese puffs made with cheddar and no fruit filling. Philistine!