Emile Henry has created a beautiful ceramic cheese dish designed to bring us lots of joy at the table. They call it Cheese Baker , and apart from being able to store Brie or Camembert cheeses in it once you have opened them, what is really rewarding is using it to cook your cheeses. Yes, cooking them, so that you get delicious melted and seasoned cheeses at the perfect point to dip or enjoy with a little bread.
In the Cheese Baker you can bake all types of cheese, from soft to semi-hard, both in the oven and microwave.
As a quick option , you can make a very quick appetizer by melting the cheese in the Cheese Baker to serve it immediately and dip bread or some sticks or raw fruit.
But when you want to prepare a more elaborate appetizer (and we're not talking about going to great lengths), we can flavor the cheese using vegetables, garlic, flavored oils, spices, nuts... And we can also accompany the cheese with toasted space-like breads, grilled fruits or vegetables, toasted olive focaccia strips... The possibilities really are endless.
Today, to start inspiring you and to 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 will love, and finally some mozzarella balls marinated and made in the cheese baker that are ideal for spreading on bread. I hope you enjoy them!
Camembert or Brie baked with walnuts and honey
Ingredients
- 1 soft and ripe Camembert or Brie
- 2 tbsp liquid honey
- 120 g chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 - 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
- Toast, whole grain crackers or baked potatoes as a side dish
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Place the cheese in the Emile Henry Cheese Baker and use a knife to make grid-like cuts on the surface of the cheese.
- Using the tip of the knife, lift the rind of the cheese into a few squares and place the walnuts on top.
- Pour the honey and olive oil over the cheese with nuts.
- Sprinkle the pepper on top and add the fresh thyme.
- Close the Cheese Baker and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Serve with toast, crackers or potatoes.
NOTE! You can make a variation of the above 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 with oil 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 cool with the lid on for about 5 minutes.
While the brie is cooling, heat the maple syrup, along with the brown sugar and cinnamon over low heat in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the walnuts.
Open the Cheese Baker, pour the syrup you have prepared over the cheese and serve.
And if you want to finish enjoying this delicacy in the sweetest way, serve it with some slices of apple (sprinkle them with lemon juice so they don't look ugly). The whole thing ends up being an absolutely delicious combination.
Marinated Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 3 Mozzarella balls of 125g each
- 200 ml fine tomato sauce (tomato coulis)
- 1 tbsp capers (in vinegar)
- 10 black olives
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Italian bread sticks for serving
Preparation
- Place the Mozzarella and capers in a sieve or cotton mesh and drain for 3 hours.
- Cut the olives in half.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
- Pour the tomato sauce into the Cheese Baker . Add the olives, salt and freshly ground pepper and add the leaves from one sprig of rosemary. Mix and place the drained mozzarella balls on top. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves from the other sprig on top.
- Close the lid and let it cook for about 25 minutes.
- Serve immediately with some toast or bread with tomato - you will love the contrast, and it makes a perfect breakfast.
Note: For faster draining, cut the mozzarella balls in half or into thick slices.
