Cheese puffs

1. To make the cheese spread, place the egg, egg yolks, cheese, cream and salt in a mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated. Transfer to a saucepan and heat gently over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine and whisk into the egg mixture until fully dissolved. Remove from the heat, pour into a clean bowl and set aside to cool, then chill until ready to use. The cheese will take about 2 hours to set to the right consistency.
3. To make the sablé, place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips. Add the cheese and combine until a dough forms. Wrap in clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
5. Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper to a thickness of 3 mm. Cut out rounds using a 10 cm cookie cutter and place on a greased baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
6. Once cooled, pipe or spread with the cheese, and serve with quince membrillo or preserved green figs.
Cook’s note: The cheese spread can be made in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge for up to a week. Keep the sablé in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Photographs: Jan Ras
Production: Abigail Donnelly
Food Assistant: Lerato Motau