Blue Cheese and Walnut Tartlets

Makes 12

Rod

Yum Yum. These are great!!!! So good for a brunch or dinner party – they are rich and wonderful and will be a fan favorite- this is actually the first time I had made my own pie dough- It is a must to make the dough for this recipe.

ingredients

Walnut Pie Dough

7 tbs butter, diced and chilled plus extra for greasing
Scant 1 5/8 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of celery salt
1/4 cup walnut halves, chopped

Filling

2 tbsp butter
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
Scant 1 cup heavy cream, plus 2 tbsp
7 oz/200 blue cheese
3 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and parsley springs, to garnish

directions

1
Lightly grease a 3 inch 12 hole muffin pan. Sift the flour and celery salt together into a food processor, ass the butter and process until the mixture in a bowl with your fingertips. Tip into a large bowl and add the walnuts and enough iced water to form a firm dough.
2
Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and cut the dough in half. Roll out one half. Using a 3 1/2 inch / 9 cm pastry cutter, cut out 6 circles. Roll out each round to 4 1/2 inch diameter and use to line half the muffin holes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Line each hole with parchment paper and fill with backing beans. Let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
3
Bake the tartlet cases in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, then remove the paper and beans,
4
To make the filling, melt the cutter in a skillet over medium-low heat. As the celery and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until very soft. Add 2 tablespoons cream, crumble in the cheese and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put the remaining cream in a pan and bring to simmering point. Pour onto the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl stirring constantly. Mix in the cheese mixture and spoon into the tartlet shells.
5
Bake for 10 minutes then turn the pan around and bake for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley.