Emile Henry has released a beautiful ceramic cheese baker designed to bring us a lot of joy at the table. They call it Cheese Baker, and aside from being able to store brie or camembert-type cheeses in it once you've opened them, what is truly gratifying is using it to cook your cheeses. Yes, cook them, so you get melted, seasoned cheeses that are delicious and at the perfect consistency for dipping or enjoying with a bit of bread.
In the Cheese Baker you can bake all kinds of cheeses, from soft to semi-firm, both in the oven and in the microwave.
As a quick option, you can make a very fast appetizer by melting the cheese in the Cheese Baker to serve immediately and dip with bread or with sticks or raw fruit.
But when you want to prepare a slightly more elaborate appetizer (and we're not talking about doing anything complicated), we can flavor the cheese using vegetables, garlic, infused oils, spices, nuts... And also serve the cheese with toasted specialty breads, fruits or vegetables roasted on the griddle or the grill, strips of toasted olive focaccia... The possibilities really are endless.
Today, to start inspiring you and helping you get the most out of the Cheese Baker, I bring you three recipes that you can make with it: a camembert with walnuts and honey, a sweet variation of this first recipe that I think you'll love, and finally marinated mozzarella balls made in the cheese baker that are ideal for spreading on bread. I hope you enjoy them!
Baked Camembert or Brie with Walnuts and Honey
Ingredients
- 1 soft, ripe Camembert or Brie
- 2 tbsp liquid honey
- 120 g chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
- Toasted bread, wholegrain crackers, or roasted potatoes for serving
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Place the cheese in the Cheese Baker by Emile Henry and use a knife to score the surface of the cheese in a grid pattern.
- With the tip of the knife, lift the rind of the cheese in some of the squares and place the walnuts on top.
- Pour the honey and the olive oil over the cheese with the walnuts.
- Sprinkle the pepper on top and add the fresh thyme.
- Close the Cheese Baker and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Serve with toasted bread, savory crackers, or potatoes.
NOTE! You can make a variation of the previous recipe as follows:
Replace the honey with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 2 tablespoons
brown sugar and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon.
After scoring the top of the cheese, drizzle the oil over it and sprinkle with ground pepper. Place the lid on the Cheese Baker and bake until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest with the lid on for about 5 minutes.
While the brie cools, gently heat the maple syrup along with the brown sugar and cinnamon over low heat in a small Shallow Casserole. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then add the nuts.
Open the Cheese Baker, pour the syrup you prepared over the cheese and serve.
And if you want to enjoy this delicacy in the sweetest way, serve with some apple slices (sprinkle with lemon juice so they don't discolor). It's all an absolutely delicious combination.
Marinated Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 3 balls of Mozzarella of 125g each
- 200 ml fine tomato sauce (tomato coulis)
- 1 tbsp capers (in vinegar)
- 10 black olives
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Italian breadsticks for serving
Preparation
- Place the Mozzarella and the capers in a sieve or in a cotton mesh, to drain for 3 hours.
- Cut the olives in half.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
- Pour the tomato sauce into the cheese baker Cheese Baker. Add the olives, the salt and freshly ground pepper and add the leaves from one rosemary sprig. Mix and place the drained mozzarella balls on top. Sprinkle the leaves from the other rosemary sprig on top.
- Close the lid and let it cook for about 25 minutes.
- Serve immediately with toast or pan con tomate - you'll love that contrast, and it even works as a perfect breakfast.
Note: For faster draining, cut the mozzarella balls in half or into thick slices.
Tips for using your Cheese Baker
