Sometimes Blueberries Can Be So Cheesy

 

So who doesn’t love blueberries? You know those sweet little berries you can eat without feeling the least bit guilty. My daughter always tells me about all the wonderful anti-oxidants they have and how healthy they are but I don’t really care. I just know they taste really good and I like them. So when I saw this contest on finding new and creative blueberry recipes I decided to give it a try. After all, I figured if my recipe didn’t work out, I would just have to eat it. Oh, the sacrifices I must make. Luckily it turned out and I got to eat it anyway.

I decided to take a recipe and incorporate two of my favorite things, blueberries and cheese. I figure apples and cheese taste really great so why not try blueberries and cheese. I started with Brie which was mighty tasty and then I tried gruyere. Both were great but by then my blueberries were gone and I had to start over. Okay, let’s begin again. This time I tried them together and since I couldn’t decide, I used both. I also love baklava so I decided I had my idea for my blueberry creation. This recipe uses frozen blueberries for the filling since they were easier to find and afford this time of year. I can’t wait to try the recipe when blueberries are in season next year. Until then enjoy my recipe and happy baking!

For more great recipes and anything you ever wanted to know about blueberries go to http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/ 

 

                                    

                              Blueberry-Brie Baklava                                                            

                                                            with Honey-Lemon Balsamic Glaze

 

Layers of Brie and Gruyere cheese, chopped walnuts and sweet blueberries

  

1-8oz roll phyllo dough, thawed

½ cup butter, melted

1½ cup walnuts

16oz frozen blueberries, thawed

2 tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

4oz Brie, sliced

2oz Gruyere, sliced 

½ cup honey

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

Spray 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray. 

Unroll phyllo and cut to fit pan (remove about 2 inches) Remove single sheet of phyllo and place on flat surface. Brush with butter and repeat until you have 5 layers. 

Place phyllo in pan and place ¾ cup walnuts in pan and ½ of the cheese slices. Layer 5 more sheets of phyllo and butter and place on top of walnuts. 

Place blueberries in a bowl and fold in sugar and flour. Top second layer of phyllo with blueberries. Layer phyllo and butter five more times and place on top of blueberries. 

Top this layer with remaining walnuts and cheese. Layer five more sheets of phyllo and butter. Brush top with butter and score baklava (Cut phyllo through all layers) 

Bake baklava at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. 

In a saucepan combine honey, sugar and water and lemon. Heat to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Add balsamic vinegar. (Stir sauce to keep it from burning.)

Pour sauce over the baklava and allow sauce to set for at least 1 hour