Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a recipe that can be used right from the start of the festive season when everyone is starting to cook something a little special in the kitchen, right to the end of the holidays when we are all rummaging in our fridges wanting to use up all those leftovers. These Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms can be made as a starter for the first dinner party of the season, served as canapés for your Christmas Eve drinks and nibbles or served at New Years Eve to make the last celebratory dinner of the year go out in style.

That’s the thing with this time of the year, there is always a reason for celebration. It almost feels like from the first weekend of advent right until the start of January every meal is a special occasion. From having those final Christmas dinners with friends before you all take a couple of weeks out of the city, to those special get-together meals in the run up to Christmas – there is plenty going on before you even reach the week of Christmas itself. And then you have the wonderful time of everyone making their way to their final destination, arriving at parents homes or welcoming family into their own homes a few days beforehand. This is all a reason to put on a nice meal, a celebratory feast and be together. In my home my husband and I also cherish this time of the year in Berlin. Christmas itself feels like a little of an upheaval. We are away from our own comfy bed, our own space and apartment with all our things, living out of a suitcase and traveling up and down the UK. For us the weeks leading up to Christmas is a time to enjoy in our own home and to relax, which often involves cooking something delicious.

Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms can be put together in such a short time. They work well as canapés or as a starter, perfect for whatever the occasion. I use fresh cranberries and boil them in a little water and white wine but you can also use a jar of cranberry sauce, or anything leftover. I also use Stilton because the bitterness from the cranberries doesn’t over power the cheese. However you can easily use some Brie that is often lurking at the back of the fridge this time of the year.

Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Serves: serves 4 or makes 12 canapés

Ingredients

• 12 medium size mushrooms (middle removed to create small holes)
• 100g blue stilton
• 50g fresh cranberries
• 2 tbsp white wine
• Few sprigs fresh thyme
• Olive oil
• Salt/ pepper
• Fresh rocket to serve.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. In a small pan add the cranberries. Cook on a gentle heat for just a couple of mins then pour in the white wine and around 50ml of boiling hot water. Keep on a gentle heat and stir for around 5 mins. By this time the liquid will have reduce and the cranberries will be soft and plump but still keeping their shape a little. Drain any excess liquid from the cranberries and leave to one side to cool.
3. In a small mixing bowl add the stilton, fresh thyme (leaves picked) and the cooled cranberries. Mix everything together with a fork so that the ingredients are combined. Season with a little salt and pepper.
4. Take a tsp size of the stilton mixture and pop into each mushroom. Press down so the filling is firmly inside the mushroom. Repeat until all the ingredients are used.
5. Place the stuffed mushrooms in a roasting tin. Lightly drizzle some olive oil on top and final seasoning of black pepper.
6. Place in the oven for around 15 mins. Serve immediately with a little fresh rocket.

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