Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Savory Cheesecake with Honeyed Walnuts


Tracking PixelToday I have the pleasure of working with Mirassou on some great holiday entertaining ideas.

Savory Cheesecake with Honeyed Walnuts

We're deep into holiday entertaining mode around here. Cocktail parties, appetizers before dinner, something special for New Year's Eve perhaps? I have some great wine and that needed a great appetizer to match. Wine and cheese is a given but a savory cheesecake is so much more impressive. And I promise you there won't be a sliver left because it's just too good.

Savory Cheesecake with Honeyed Walnuts
This time I'm pairing it with Mirassou wines, a favorite of so many of my friends. They are actually the oldest winemaking family in America, crafting affordable California wines for the last 160 years. The Mirassou Moscato has a bright fruity aroma and the Mirassou Pino Noir has deep notes of cherry, vanilla and oak.

You can make this cheesecake milder with ricotta or goat cheese instead of the blue but I wanted to balance the fruity wines with the tang of the blue cheese and the sweet note of the honeyed nuts. Each wine went perfectly but provided a different flavor note. The cheesecake is rich and you don't need much but it all combined with the wines to make a perfect bite.

To help get your holiday entertaining started, Mirassou is offering a $3.00 coupon. Click here for more details on how to redeem.

Savory Cheesecake with Honeyed Walnuts
by Hungry Couple
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients (8 Servings)
  • Crust:
  • 1/3 Cup seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 Cup walnuts
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • Filling:
  • 8 oz. Cream cheese
  • 4 oz. Blue cheese
  • 1/4 Cup sour cream
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped chives
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Teaspoon lemon juice
  • Pinch black pepper

  • Topping:
  • 1/2 Cup walnuts
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
Instructions
Savory Cheesecake with Honeyed Walnuts
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add the walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the breadcrumbs and the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is combined. Press it into the bottom and sides of a 4" spring-form pan.

Wipe out the bowl of the food processor with a paper towel and then add the cream cheese, blue cheese, sour cream, egg, lemon juice and pepper. Puree until fully combined, add the chives and pulse a couple more times to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared spring-form pan, place on a baking sheet to catch drips and bake for approximately 30 minutes. If you notice that the top is getting too brown during baking, simply cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. The cheesecake may puff up like a souffle during baking but will settle smoothly once it's cooled.

Allow to cool thoroughly, or ideally overnight, before removing from the pan. Before serving, combine the walnuts and honey, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Sprinkle on top of the cheesecake before serving with crackers and wine.
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This is a sponsored post, written by me, on behalf of Mirassou.

10 comments:

  1. That cheesecake looks absolutely terrific! Thanks for sharing :)

    Happy Blogging!
    Happy Valley Chow

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  2. This cheesecake looks delicious! I love the blend of cheeses...perfect with wine...thanks for sharing!

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  3. You had me at cheesecake! Looks amazing! I'd like to make this for New Year's Eve. Gotta go get a 4" springform pan!

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  4. This is absolutely gorgeous, Anita! Your photos are amazing, and what I wouldn't give to try a slice...

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  5. Honeyed walnuts sounds absolutely delicious!

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  6. Hi, I'm wondering if this could be doubled into an 8" springform pan? It looks positively DEVINE!

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    Replies
    1. Hi and thank you! So, my answer is that I "think" it can because it is similar in ingredients to larger cheesecakes that I've baked. However, I have not tested it at that size so I can't say for sure. If you try it, please do let me know how it went.

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  7. I am definitely making this recipe

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  8. Mine is in the oven and smell amazing! Thank you for the recipe

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