Holidays and baking go together like, well, wine and cheese. The trick with Easter baking is to find new ideas to entice a crowd looking for a change from chocolate bunnies. Adding a bit of your favourite fine cheese to Easter brunch is a great way to please your guests, and this year why not add to the enticement by exploring some new varieties of fine Canadian cheese.
The delicate taste and texture of bloomy-rind soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert suggest refinement with just enough decadence. And we’ve got the perfect recipe to showcase them.
BLUEBERRY, LEMON AND BRIE SCONES
• Prep. Time 20 mins
• Cooking Time 15 mins
• Yields 12 servings
WHAT YOU NEED
1 egg
½ cup (125 ml) Milk
¼ cup (60 ml) melted butter
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (375 ml) whole wheat fl our
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
½ tsp (2 ml) salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon zest
1 cup (250 ml) fresh, frozen or dried blueberries
6 oz (180 g) Canadian Brie, sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F (210°C) Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat the egg and add the milk, butter and vanilla. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the fl our, baking powder, sugar, salt, and lemon zest and form a well in the middle.
Pour liquid mixture into the well and mix until well blended. Add blueberries.
Divide dough into 12 balls. Place on cookie sheet, flatten slightly and brush with beaten egg mixture.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until the scones are well browned.
When scones are ready, split and insert a Brie slice in each.
Change the cheese
These sumptuous scones make a great addition to any holiday get-together. The mix of fruit and fine cheese suggest flavours commonly found on a gourmet cheese platter. Though the recipe calls for Brie, you can mix it up with a nice Camembert as well. The differences in each cheese can be quite bold, why not offer your guests a side-by-side comparison to get a real feel for the contrasts between each cheese. At the very least it’s an excuse to eat more scones.
Wine accompaniment
A “big” red is usually a good match for Brie and Camembert, though feel free to bring your favourite dessert wine, or even Champagne to celebrate your latest successful Easter baking session.
For more recipes for Easter and any occasion, go to allyouneedischeese.ca.
