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mini swedish cheese pies with västerbottensost.


i don't know about you but i hadn't heard of västerbottensost cheese before now. in terms of flavour, it is a tangy and salty cheese almost like parmesan except you could easily eat a massive chunk of it on a cheeseboard. in texture it is like a crumbly but waxy cheddar which almost melts as you grate it. 

an official swedish cheese since 1910, the story goes that dairy maid ulrika eleonora first created västerbottensost by mistake when the cheese over-curdled, allegedly as she was distracted by a lover. cheeky. i love a good romance story, expecially when it involves cheese. it is now a unique trademark of sweden, with the unmistakable w mark on the gold packaging.


so off i went on the search for an authentic swedish recipe to match this very regal looking cheese. would it be meatballs, gravlax or kippers perhaps? 

i actually stumbled across this dish on the västerbottensost recipe page where i came to find that cheese pie is a pretty big deal for our scandinavian friends. a little like a cheese tart or quiche, this is a simply recipe which i thought would be nice to adapt for six pies to have for lunches rather than one large tart to slice up.


shopping list.
for the pie pastry
♥ 125g butter 
♥ 250g plain flour 
♥ 1 tbsp water 

for the filling 
♥ 150g grated västerbottensost 
♥ three eggs 
♥ 200ml whipping cream 
♥ cracked black pepper

six 4" diameter tart tins.

preheat the oven to 225 degrees c. make the tart pastry by mixing the butter and flour to a crumbly texture in a food processor, or between your fingers. add the water and form into a smooth dough.


roll out your pastry and lay into the tart tins. prick the bases with a fork.




place in the oven for ten minutes whilst you make the filling.


have your grated cheese at the ready and try not to nibble on it. i totally did.




whisk together the eggs and cream, then add in all the cheese and continue to combine. crunch in some black pepper. believe me though you won't need salt!




pour into the tarts and bake for a further 15 minutes.


neaten up the crusts - mine are as usual very rustic - and serve.i enjoyed mine with a rocket, watercress, spinach and cucumber salad for lunch at work.


this was a sad day for food photography - dreary with bad lighting and i finished baking these as the sun set. so the cheese is looking rather bright at the start and the finished result not so much... but they still tasted the same i promise. 

i gobbled up the last one at work today and will definitely be making these again.



i played it safe and went for a classic recipe here, although you can also use the cheese in bbq food, on salads, with seafood, in desserts and it apparently goes really well with venison.

find out more at västerbottensost ♥ 

note: i was sent a sample for purposes of review, i chose to adapt a recipe from their website and all views are my own. i was not paid for this post.

6 comments:

  1. These look like the perfect comfort food for colder days! I've never tried (or even heard of!) this cheese before but will definitely be keeping me eye out for it in the future in the hope that I can make these. :)

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    1. Definitely! Though I'm sure they would work with a mature cheddar too - as long as it was grate-able xx

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  2. I want one! These look great! Where can you buy this cheese? I've not seen it before

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    1. Thanks :) You can get it in Waitrose and some specialist cheese shops! xx

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  3. Oh my goodness they looks so tasty! I've not heard of that cheese before but I am always on the look out for new ones

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    Replies
    1. Thank you - glad you like :) New cheese flavours are always an exciting discovery xx

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