Stilton and walnut tarts are savoury tarts consisting of a nutty walnut pastry with a filling made from leeks, celery and Stilton cheese in a savoury egg custard. These little tarts are perfect to serve as an appetiser or as a light meal, and you can even pop one in your lunch box for an appetising mid-day snack.
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Walnut and blue cheese tarts
If you like blue cheese, then I think you are going to love these blue cheese and walnut tarts.
They have a creamy filling made with chopped walnuts, leeks and celery, combined with Stilton cheese and covered with a mixture of beaten eggs and cream.
The pastry is a standard shortcrust pastry which has been given extra flavour and texture thanks to the addition of finely chopped walnuts.
The slight bitterness from the walnuts, combined with the sharpness of the Stilton and the sweetness of the leeks work together to provide a flavour profile that is both unique and complex.
These Stilton and walnut tarts can be eaten plain for a light lunch, or you can top them with a spoonful of creme fraiche or sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives for a more elegant dinner party appetiser.
What you will need
Equipment
If you have a food processor, it will make light work of chopping the walnuts and making the pastry. If you don’t have one, you can chop the nuts finely with a sharp knife on a chopping board, and mix the pastry in a mixing bowl. And don’t forget a rolling pin for rolling out the pastry. (Tip – if you don’t have a rolling pin, a clean empty wine bottle works almost as well).
For baking the tarts you will need 12 mini flan rings or if you prefer you can make a single walnut and stilton tart in a 10-inch flan ring instead. If you do decide to use a 10-inch flan ring, you may find that you have a little pastry leftover (see the FAQ section below for what to do with leftover pastry).
You will also need some baking beans for blind-baking the pastry. I use these ceramic baking beans, but you could use a packet of dried beans or even split please if that’s all you have. Just remember to keep the beans aside if you’ve used them for blind-baking, don’t use them in your cooking afterwards!
For making the filling you will need a medium-sized saucepan with a lid.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 12 x 4-inch diameter tarts.
***You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making Walnut and Stilton tarts on the printable recipe card at the end of this post***
Flour – this is for the pastry. You should use plain all-purpose flour – not self-raising flour – we don’t want the pastry to rise.
Butter – this is used for making the pastry, and also for frying the leeks and celery. If you use salted butter, take this into account when seasoning the pastry and the filling.
Walnuts – these are mixed into the pastry, and also added to the filling. If you don’t have walnuts you can substitute with pecan nuts.
Stilton – this is a blue cheese that is only produced in certain areas of the UK. You can substitute with any blue cheese.
Celery – this forms part of the filling of the tarts and should be cut into a fine dice.
Leeks – these are the other vegetables for the filling. They should be cut in half down the length and then finely sliced into semi-circles. You will need approximately twice the amount of chopped leeks as celery.
Eggs – these form the base of the custard filling. You will only need the yolks. You can use the whites for meringues or make these coconut meringue jam tarts.
Double cream (or heavy cream) – adds a creamy taste to the tarts. You can get away with using single cream (or pouring cream) if you don’t have double cream.
Salt and black pepper – for seasoning – use to your own taste.
What to do
In a nutshell, here are the steps to make these blue cheese and walnut tarts.
- Make the pastry
- Line the baking tins with pastry and bake blind them.
- Make the filling
- Assemble the tarts and bake again to allow the filling to set.
So let me show you the details:
Make the pastry
Chop all the walnuts finely in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the walnuts very finely on a chopping board, using a sharp knife. Half the walnuts will be used in the pastry and the remainder will be used in the filling.
Place the flour, salt (if using), butter and walnuts in a food processor fitted with a metal cutting blade and process them until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can put the ingredients into a mixing bowl and use your fingertips to rub the mixture together.
Add the water gradually, starting with 3 tablespoons and adding a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together and is soft but not sticky. I used 5 tablespoons of water.
Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and gently press the dough together to form a flat disk. Handle the dough just enough to let it come together, and do not knead.
Line the flan dish and blind bake
Roll the pastry out to about the thickness of a two-pound coin (approximately one-eighth of an inch). Cut circles large enough to fit your flan dishes.
I used a small dessert bowl and cut around it with a knife.
Press the pastry gently into a lightly greased flan dish and neaten the edges by pressing the rolling pin over the top.
Line the pastry cases with baking parchment and fill the bottom with baking beans. Place them into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to rest the pastry.
Once the pastry has rested, arrange the flan dishes on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven (200C / 400F) for 10 minutes.
Let the pastry shells cool before removing the baking beans. Take care, the baking beans will be HOT.
Make the filling
You can make the filling while the pastry cases are resting in the refrigerator.
Chop the celery and leeks finely.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add the leeks, onions and chopped walnuts and fry them on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and started to soften. Keep the heat low and don’t allow them to brown. This will take about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Leave for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
Mix the eggs and cream in a mixing bowl, season with salt and black pepper, and stir into the leeks and onions. Do not cook the filling further – it will continue to cook and thicken in the oven.
Assemble and bake
Pour the filling into the pastry cases.
Bake in a preheated oven (200C / 400F) for 12 to 15 minutes until the filling has set and the tops of the pies are golden.
Serve either warm or cold, topped with creme fraiche and chopped chives
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Stilton and walnut tarts FAQ
Roll the pastry out to about one-quarter inch thickness sprinkle lightly with paprika and cover the pastry with a thin layer of grated cheddar cheese. Cut into strips about half an inch wide and give each strip a twist. Lay them on a greased baking sheet and bake them in the oven (200C/400F) for 15 minutes for instant cheese straws.
Leftover pastry can also be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Yes, these stilton and walnut tarts can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Let the tarts cool completely and then wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminium foil and place them in a freezer bag or other air-tight freezer container before placing them in the freezer.
When you are ready to eat them, remove the tarts from the freezer and allow them to defrost in the refrigerator. The stilton and walnut tarts can then be reheated in the oven or in the microwave. Because the crust will soften in the microwave, I would recommend reheating them in the oven.
Yes, you can make these stilton and walnut tarts into a large flan. Line a suitably sized flan dish with the pastry and follow the steps given above to blind-bake the pastry shell. Fill the pastry with the filling and bake in the oven for the temperature given in the recipe. You may find that you need to bake the pie for a few minutes longer.
When I made this recipe I only had 8 flan cases so I used the remaining pastry and filling to make a larger tart. (I think I should have taken a bit more trouble and crimped the edges of the pastry, but I’m sure you’ll get the idea 🙂 ).
Stilton cheese is a variety of blue cheese, that is made only in certain areas of the UK. Its origin can be traced back to the early 18th century, and although the original recipe has changed over the years, it still remains one of the world’s best-known cheeses.
Since 1996, Stilton has had European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. This means that for this cheese to be called Stilton, it can only be manufactured in certain areas of the UK (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire), and must be produced according to the traditional recipe.
This is similar to the way that champagne can only be called champagne if it is made in the Champagne region of France from grapes that are grown in that region.
Save for later
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Other recipes
You may also enjoy these other tart and pie recipes:
- Creamy mushroom tarts with puff pastry – crispy puff pastry filled with a mixture of garlic mushrooms and onions in a creamy sauce.
- Crustless tomato quiche – fresh tomatoes in cheesy custard thickened with breadcrumbs which bakes to a firm sliceable consistency.
- Easy cheese and onion quiche – a delicious savoury tart, made with cheese and caramelised onions in a crispy pastry shell.
- Sout tert – a traditional South African savoury tart filled with boiled eggs and Vienna sausages.
- Bacon and egg pie – a traditional English bacon and egg pie just like Granny used to make.
The recipe
Stilton and walnut tarts
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- 12 Mini flan rings
- Baking aking beans
Ingredients
Walnut pastry
- 8 ounces / 225 grams plain all-purpose flour 1½ cups + 1 tablespoon
- 4 ounces / 110 grams butter cubed
- 1 ounce / 28 grams walnuts (for pastry) finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
- 3 to 5 tablespoons ice cold water
Filling
- 1 ounce / 28 grams butter
- 2 sticks celery finely chopped (approx 1 cup)
- 1 mediium leek finely chopped (approx 2 cups)
- 1 ounce / 28 grams walnuts (for filling) finely chopped
- 7 ounces / 200 grams Stilton cheese (grated) or other blue cheese
- 10 tablespoons / 150 ml double cream / heavy cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- 2 – 3 tablespoons creme fraiche
- 1 – 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Process the walnuts (both for the pastry and for the filling) in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Alternatively chop them on a chopping board with a sharp knife. Divide the walnuts in half and set aside.1 ounce / 28 grams walnuts (for pastry), 1 ounce / 28 grams walnuts (for filling)
Pastry
- Place the flour, salt, butter and walnuts into a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.8 ounces / 225 grams plain all-purpose flour, 4 ounces / 110 grams butter, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ounce / 28 grams walnuts (for pastry)
- Add the water gradually, starting with 3 tablespoons and adding a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together and is soft but not sticky.3 to 5 tablespoons ice cold water
- Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and gently press the dough together to form a flat disk. Handle the dough just enough to let it come together, and do not knead.
- Roll the pastry out to about the thickness of a two pound coin (approximately one-eighths of an inch). Cut circles large enough to fit your flan dishes. I used a small pudding bowl as a guide.
- Press the pastry gently into a lightly greased flan dish and neaten the edges by pressing the rolling pin over the top.
- Line the pastry cases with baking parchment and fill the bottom with baking beans. Place them into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to rest the pastry.
- While the pastry is resting, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F
- Once the pastry has rested, arrange the flan dishes on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing the baking beans.
Filling
- While the pastry cases are resting, chop the celery and leeks finely.2 sticks celery, 1 mediium leek
- Melt butter in a saucepan, add the chopped leeks, onions and chopped walnuts and fry them on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and started to soften. Keep the heat low and don't allow them to brown. This will take about 5 minutes.1 ounce / 28 grams butter, 2 sticks celery, 1 mediium leek, 1 ounce / 28 grams walnuts (for filling)
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Leave for 5 minutes to cool slightly.7 ounces / 200 grams Stilton cheese (grated)
- Mix the eggs and cream in a mixing bowl, season with salt and black pepper, and stir into the leeks and onions. Do not cook the filling further – it will continue to cook and thicken in the oven.10 tablespoons / 150 ml double cream / heavy cream, 3 large egg yolks, Salt and pepper
Assemble and bake
- Pour the cooled filling into the pastry cases
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the filling has set and the tops of the tarts are golden.
- Serve either warm or cold, topped with creme fraiche and chopped chives2 – 3 tablespoons creme fraiche, 1 – 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Notes
Let the tarts cool completely and then wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminium foil and place them in a freezer bag or other air-tight freezer container before placing them in the freezer.
When you are ready to eat them, remove the tarts from the freezer and allow them to defrost in the refrigerator. The stilton and walnut tarts can then be reheated in the oven or in the microwave. Because the crust will soften in the microwave, I would recommend reheating them in the oven. Nutrition does not include garnish!
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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