Disclaimer – PR Product for the purpose of this feature but words and opinions are my own.
How the crown should look - Photo 1912
You can keep your street parties, for I my friends, have made a crown of pastry (and stilton). A hard act to follow, I’m sure you’ll agree!
Why? I asked myself the same question when it started to fall apart, but it’s all part of the King’s Coronation celebrations.
I was set the challenge to use the award winning artisan 1912 Blue Stilton, a cheese with a local connection. Leicestershire’s Long Clawson Dairy created the unique tribute to King Charles III, using what is arguably the dairy's most famous product.
I was sent some of the stilton to try, and the recipe below (although I ended up putting my own twist on it)
Personally, I love Stilton, but I’m aware not everyone does, particularly the blue mould, however, if you like your cheese strong, Stilton has a taste like no other, and in combination with other flavours it makes a fantastic ingredient in many dishes - or eat it on its own. You can sprinkle it on fries with bacon for loaded fries, or even sprinkle it on a soup for added flavour
The 1912 Stilton (named so because that's when the dairy produced its first wheel of Stilton) isn’t as strong as other Long Clawson cheeses, and it’s creamier too. Marketed as The Real Deal, 1912 Blue Stilton has been granted DPO, which stands for Designated Protection of Origin, meaning it can only be made in Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire using the local milk of these three counties. That means that most of their farmers are based within 30 miles of the dairy, ensuring minimal food miles as production stage.
If you’ve never tried blue cheese before or are put off by the taste or aroma, maybe try 1912 Blue Cheese. If you’re still not sure, start with a recipe that uses 1912 as an ingredient, such as the Crown, or there are a lot of recipes on their website (the Stilton Pasta looks delicious)
Here’s the official recipe for the 1912 Coronation Crown for King Charles’ Coronation!
1912 Coronation Crown
2 x puff pastry rolls
1912 cheese
1 egg
Bunch of red grapes
1 packet of pecans
1 pomegranate
Method
Grate the cheese.
Spread out the puff pastry and sprinkle one half of the party (lengthways) with the grated 1912 cheese. Fold over the pastry (lengthways) and press down so that it is securely stuck together. Cut in half lengthways so you are left with two wide strips and then cut them in half again so you are left with 4 strips. Repeat with the other puff pastry.
Pick up the strips of pastry and rotate from each end until you have a lovely twist all the way down. Repeat for all the strips.
Line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper. Place a large upturned Perspex oven proof bowl onto the lined tray.
Tear 4 large pieces of tin foil. Mould each piece into a ball that can sit on top of the Perspex bowl. You’re creating the base for the pastry to sit on to look as close to a crown as possible.
Cut a small piece of greaseproof to go on top the tinfoil Perspex bowl so the pastry doesn’t stick.
Grab a strip of pastry and lay it over the top of the bowl so either side reaches the bottom of the bowl. You want to create a cross on top, so grab another strip and lay over the top of the other strip. Push down the pastry in the middle where the two pastry strips lay on top of each other.
Get another strip of pastry and lay it around the base of the bowl. Take another strip and lay it on the other side of the bowl so that they two pastry strips meet and you have a circle. Press together so that they join securely. Repeat with another two pastry strips that goes on top, so it’s a double layer. You’ll have a few strips left over, just pop those around the empty space on the tray.
With a whisk egg brush the pastry all over.
Pop the tray with your crown into a preheated oven 180C for 30 minutes or until golden brown and nicely risen.
Once cooked get out the oven and let it cool. Once cool then separate the crown from the bowl.
With your large 1912 cheese place onto a tray or chopping board whatever you have that is big enough and lay your crown of pastry over it!
Now time to adorn your crown with pecans around the base of the crown. Add red grapes on top of the cheese and pomegranate jewels all over the crown. And enjoy!
Watch the video here:
Mine :)
I adapted it slightly using shortcrust pastry which I sneakily thought would be stronger. It wasn't, hence the reason my centrepiece stayed on the bowl. Could be me though, I’m not the world's best pastry chef. I also mixed the 1912 with a cream cheese and piped it onto the pastry. My orb on top is a meal in itself, being made of pastry and filled with 1912 and grapes. I decorated it with apricot halves, pomegranate and even gave it a spray of edible gold.
Here's a look at how I did it
If you decide to try it yourself, I’d love to see your creations.
Tag me on instagram - @realtanyalouise, as well as @1912artisan and @longclawsondairy
Love Tx