4.06.2014

Blue Cheese Walnut Biscuits with Pears and Cream


This has been on my radar for a while and I really wanted to try it. Just for the biscuits! Of course, I love pears with blue cheese, but the walnut blue cheese biscuits looked fabulous and I could think of a number of fruits you could use in this dish. Gail at Pastry Studio usually hits the flavor nail on the head, so I made it her way the first time. These biscuits are so scrumptious, I'll be making them over and over. 

Blue Cheese Walnut Biscuits with Pears and Cream
From :Pastry Studio


Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1 – 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
3 - 4 fresh ripe Bartlett pears

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
pinch to 1/8 t salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup toasted walnuts 
2 oz (4 T) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled into small pieces 
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk

Ingredients for the biscuit topping: 
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons toasted walnuts, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup heavy cream for serving

Method:

For the pears: combine the honey and water in a saucepan and simmer to dissolve. Add the lemon juice and remove from heat. Peel, core and slice the pears and place in the honey syrup as you go to prevent browning. Return to low and gently simmer for a few minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool, spooning the syrup over the fruit every now and then to coat.

For the biscuits:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment.

Chop 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of the toasted walnuts, add 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix and set aside. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Place the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/3 cup of toasted walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until the walnuts are finely ground. Add the cold butter pieces and the crumbled blue cheese and pulse in short bursts about 10 times. Do not overmix. Add the buttermilk all at once and pulse another 10 times. The mixture should look like very coarse meal rather than clumps of dough.

Pour the mixture onto some parchment and, patting and pressing, pull it together with your hands. Do not knead. Shape it into a round about 3/4” thick. Use a 2 1/2” round cutter dipped in flour to cut out 6 biscuits. Place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet at least 2” apart. Brush the tops with the reserved melted butter and sprinkle with the walnut sugar mixture, pressing down gently to secure the nuts. Bake about 13-15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden. Cool completely before handling, they crumble easily.

To serve: Whip the cream to a very soft peak. Cut the biscuits in half horizontally. Dollop with some whipped cream, layer with pears and garnish with plenty of syrup. I used a half pear with one biscuit and sliced the pears with the other.






21 comments:

  1. Wow Barbara!
    Savory Biscuits and Pears what an interesting concept. Well, you've certainly gotten my radar going too.

    I'm a huge fan of Blue Cheese anything, and the walnuts are a perfect addition. I think I'll be saving this recipe for Pear season. I haven't even seen any pears at the grocery store lately. Now that I think of it, I wonder why.

    Thank you so much for sharing, Barbara, I'd love one of those biscuits with my Sunday morning coffee:)

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    1. Interesante y buena mezcla peras y crema fantástico,abrazos

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  2. A georgous savoury sweet dessert! I love it all! Yummm! x

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  3. Oh yeah love pears and this look delicious Barbara!

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  4. Oh wow. I'm truly sorry I've already eaten breakfast. Next weekend, this is on the menu!

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  5. I love the combo of flavours, Barbara. Blue cheese, walnut and pear..some fine gourmet ingredients.

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  6. A refined combination! So flavorful and divine.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  7. what a complex little snack you've made! so many delicious flavors, and they all must blend together so well--bravo.

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  8. I LOVE the pastry studio, she has really good recipes--foolproof too.
    This came out great Barbara! You know I love all things savory & sweet.

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  9. This is such a beautiful marriage of flavours. I don't have a kitchen at the moment :(, but if i did, this would be on my list of things to try.
    *kisses* H

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  10. What a delicious biscuit! Bite, bite, bite...and gone! :) ela@GrayApron

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  11. I can't believe how delicious these look! What a great combination of flavours.

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  12. Pears go so well with blue cheese. Fantastic biscuits Barbara.
    Sam

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  13. I love the pairing of blue cheese and pears!

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  14. This is a perfect pairing Barbara. What is not to love with biscuits, pears and blue cheese. I remember having poached pears with crumbled blue cheese at a dinner party once and loving the combination.

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  15. yep, those look just about perfect with a cup of tea right now...

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  16. Ohhh Barbara amo los postres de peras se ve muy delicioso,abrazos

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  17. Both my son and husband are huge fans of blue cheese! I know these biscuits would be perfect for them!

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  18. I love how this is sweet, savory, and something I would totally expect to see on a restaurant appetizer menu!

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  19. delicious, Barbara, and a great idea. I've made crostini with pears walnuts and blue cheese--but these biscuits sound even better.

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