These pastry making guides compliment our recipes section.
Cheese & Spinach Flan made with Cheese Pastry
Cheese pastry is used for cheese biscuits and straws, savoury tarts, pies, flans and turnovers.
It works well with a strong cheese, such as a mature cheddar or a blue cheese such as Stilton but don’t be afraid to experiment or even mix cheeses that need using up.
Cheese that has dried up, rind from Stilton etc. is ideal for cheese pastry.
If a savoury flan recipe calls for shortcrust pastry, consider using a cheese pastry instead to just lift the flavour.
Cheese Pastry Ingredients:
- 4 oz (112 g) plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- Good pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- Good pinch of dry mustard or teaspoon of ready made English mustard.
- 2 oz (56 g) butter or margarine
- 3 oz (84 g) grated cheese
- Yolk of 1 egg
- Water
Method for Making Cheese Pastry by Hand:
- Sieve the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl and rub in the fat. Add the finely grated cheese and mix well.
- Mix to a stiff dough with the egg yolk and a little water.
- Turn on to a lightly floured board, knead gently and roll out.
Method for Making Cheese Pastry using a Food Processor:
- Sieve the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl add the fat cut into lumps and pulse until it resembles crumbs.
- Add the finely grated cheese and mix well with the processor on a slow speed.
- Add the egg yolk and a little cold water and mix again until it forms a ball in the bowl.
- Turn on to a lightly floured board, knead gently and roll out.
Pre-Baking Cheese Pasty Flan Case
Use a pre-heated oven, 160°C fan, 180°C conventional Gas mark 4. Roughly 30 minutes, but until the pastry has browned. Don’t forget it will further cook with the contents so light brown rather than dark.
The cheese pastry will store well for a few days wrapped in cling film in the fridge or can be frozen for months. Do allow plenty of time for it to defrost before using.
Pastry Making Guides
- Pastry Making – Basic Guide & Tips to How to Make Pastry
- How to Make Filo (Phyllo) Pastry
- How to Make Cheese Pastry
- How to Make Choux Pastry
- How to Make Flaky Pastry
- How to Make Fleur Pastry
- How to Make Hot Water Pastry
- How to Make Puff Pastry
- How to Make Rough Puff Pastry
- How to Make Shortcrust Pastry
- How to Make Suet Pastry
- How to Make Potato Pastry
