Taking inspiration from traditional babkas, developed by the Jews of eastern Europe in the 19th century, this “cheat” version uses shop- bought puff pastry, and delivers all the moreish flavours and textures with none of the hassle. The perfect festive showstopper.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1hr 30 min
Serves 4-6
1 white onion, very finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
50g dried cranberries
50ml water
50ml orange juice
25g granulated sugar
100g Saint Agur Blue Cheese, plus a little extra to serve
230g ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Start by caramelising the onion. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a low heat, add the onions and a good pinch of salt, and cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the brown sugar and vinegar, and cook for a further five minutes. Set aside.
Next make a cranberry jam by adding the cranberries to a saucepan along with 50ml of water, the orange juice and granulated sugar. Cook gently for 15 minutes. When the cranberries have absorbed almost all of the liquid, blitz in a food processor, or with a stick blender, and set aside.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/gas 6. In a bowl, beat the Saint Agur Blue Cheese with a balloon whisk until soft. Unroll the puff pastry and, leaving a 1cm border all around, spread on the jam. Dot with pea-sized pieces of the whipped cheese and caramelised onions before rolling up the pastry lengthways. Rest in the freezer for 15 minutes
Using a very sharp knife, cut your “roulade” lengthwise, dividing the pastry into two long pieces. With the cut sides facing up, put one piece of pastry over the second and braid together. Place on a parchment-lined tray, brush with beaten egg and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
Transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle over a little crumbled Saint Agur before taking to the table.
Nina Roe runs the Suffolk-based catering company Hay Hay
Discover more delicious ways to enjoy Saint Agur every day at thecheeselover.co.uk/saint-agur
