Fool proof food

Recipe for Doune McKenzie’s Cheese Biscuits.

This is a brilliant recipe for using up leftover bits of cheese. You can add a little blue cheese if available.

Use any bits of leftover cheese, eg Cheddar, Parmesan, Gruyere, Coolea, Cashel Blue. A little soft cheese may also be added but you will need some hard cheese to balance the flavour.

Weigh cheese then use equal amounts of butter and plain white flour.

Grate the cheese — rinds and all. Dice the butter. Cream the butter and stir in the flour and grated cheese and a little salt, form into a roll like a long sausage, about 1½ inches thick. Alternatively whizz in a food processor until it forms a dough, shape using a little flour if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until solid.

Remove, unwrap, brush with egg wash and roll in sesame seeds, or a mixture of sesame and nigella seeds. Cover and chill again for another hour.

Slice into rounds — about one-third inch thick. Arrange on a baking tray, cook in a preheated oven 250C/475F/regulo 9 for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown.

Leave to cool for a couple of seconds then transfer to a wire rack. Best eaten on the day they are made as they soften quite quickly.

Serve them just as they are, or use them as a base for a variety of toppings — perhaps a sliver of Cheddar and a dollop of Ballymaloe country relish or Ballymaloe jalapeno relish. Goats cheese and sundried tomatoes are also delicious, or simply top the goats cheese with a dab of pesto and a slice of cherry tomato. They are also yummy sandwiched together with cream cheese, chives and cucumber pickle.