Blue cheese cheesecake recipe - Mindy Segal (Hot Chocolate)

My contribution to a Superbowl party tonight was this blue cheese cheesecake, courtesy of a recipe from Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate restaurant here in Chicago. This is definitely a dessert cheesecake, and not so much an appetizer like the one at May Street Market. I've always been a huge fan of Mindy's desserts so I knew I needed to give this a try. Plus, I've always loved the idea of meshing the cheese course with the dessert course.

Reactions were mixed. Myself and two other blue cheese fans loved it. Some liked it but I could tell they were not huge blue cheese fans (they finished all of the other components but left a little cheesecake on the plate). And a couple who just don't like blue cheese could not get past the thought that they were eating it (a couple of bites and that was it).

But I really think this recipe is a gem. First, the cheesecake could not have been creamier. I did not find the Hook's blue where I shopped so I simply mixed mostly Maytag blue, and then some Roquefort Petit Cave Gabriel Coulet and Neals Yard Cashel blue.

The accompaniments are just perfect and the combination of flavors and textures is great - port wine poached pears (I mixed Bartlett and Comice), a wonderful port-caramel sauce and candied walnuts. The next time I make it I might stick to Maytag or something else mild to appeal to a less accepting palate. But when all of the components of the dish are tasted together, the flavors and textures are really extraordinary.

Also, this was a pretty easy recipe to prepare and the cheesecake is very easy to unmold. Please note that there is no crust involved and the cheesecake itself is not very sweet (only two tablespoons of honey). My only warning about the recipe is that I believe the cooking time is understated . . . maybe by as much as an hour. I don't recall how long I cooked it, but at the suggested 45 minutes of cooking it was not even close. And I didn't test with a knife . . . I knew it was ready when it jiggled just a little bit in the middle, and the texture was just perfect. I also thought it would be easier to eat at a party (where people are moving around) if I chopped the pears (larger chunks), instead of serving the halves.

If you are a blue cheese fan like me, and like the idea of mixing cheese and dessert, I highly recommend this recipe.

Thanks for the recipe review. While less a fan of Mindy Segal's desserts, I love blue cheese and was just thinking this morning that it's been a while since I've made a cheesecake. I'll give it a try in the next few weeks.

I should note that although I indicated that this is a dessert recipe, elimination of the port wine-caramel sauce would allow this to be served as an appetizer. In that case, I would probably further reduce the port-wine mixture which remains after poaching until it reaches the consistency of a syrup and add some greens to the mix. One further note: the candied walnuts are a nice addition because of the crunch they add, but I've made better versions of candied walnuts than the ones in this recipe (although this recipe takes literally 2 minutes to prepare). But maybe the addition of spices or black pepper to the walnuts could help.