For those of you looking for an alternative to cow’s milk, have you ever thought about trying goats’ milk products – not just milk and cheese, but plenty of other interesting products to enjoy? Say hello to Cheshire-based goats’ milk producer Delamere Dairy, offering an award-winning range of speciality products to address the demand for alternatives to traditional dairy.
Why goats’ milk?
I wasn’t aware that goats’ milk has actually been known to help alleviate symptoms associated with digestive disorders, skin conditions like eczema and respiratory problem, making it a delicious and naturally nutritious alternative to cow’s milk. It also boasts immune-boosting properties like selenium and zinc which are especially helpful at this time of year to fight off colds and boost our immune systems. Also high in calcium, goats’ milk contains about 20% less cholesterol than cow’s milk and the cholesterol it does contain is more readily available for absorption by the body.
Getting festive with Delamere Dairy
So now you know a bit more about how good it is, let’s talk about getting into the festive spirit. I was kindly sent a range of the goat products which you can see below, with my challenge being to create a Christmas recipe using simple ingredients, healthy, delicious and perfect for a seasonal feast. I absolutely love goats’ cheese and its strong, creamy flavour so my first thought was to incorporate it with sweet dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, crisp pears and honey…
Which brings me onto the result, this stunning, easy to make and tasty tart which would make a fabulous starter or main dish for the table accompanied by roasted vegetables, potatoes and cranberry sauce – a wonderful veggie alternative. The crust is made from oats, nuts and goats butter for a delicious nutty base, filled with a creamy filling and topped off with cranberries, pear slices and goats pearls gently melted in. The honey-glazed walnuts are the perfect finishing touch for a dish to suit all this season!
PEAR, CRANBERRY & WALNUT GOATS’ CHEESE TART
Ingredients:
For the tart case –
- 100g rolled oats
- 100g walnuts
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 50g Delamere Goats Butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
For the filling –
- 300g Delamere Goats Plain Yogurt
- 3 tablespoons Delamere Goats Milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 heaped tablespoon cornflour
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1-2 pears, cored and thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons Delamere Goats Plain Pearls
To decorate –
- 20g walnuts
- 1 tablespoon honey
Get making!
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C and grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed tart tin.
- Place the tart case ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until broken down and the mixture comes together a bit like a flapjack consistency.
- Tip into the tin and use the back of a spoon to press across the base and up the sides evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile beat together the yogurt, milk, eggs, cornflour and seasoning. Stir in half the cranberries and goats pearls.
- Pour this into the tart case then arrange the pear slices on top (stick to one layer). Scatter over the rest of the cranberries and goats pearls. Return to the oven for 35-40 minutes (you might want to cover with foil halfway to prevent burning!).
- Heat the honey in a small pan and cook the walnuts for 5 minutes, stirring continuously – the walnuts will caramelise nicely. Once the tart has baked and is set, remove from the oven. Scatter over the walnuts and drizzle over the remaining honey. Leave until cool enough to handle then remove from the tin, place on a serving plate, slice and enjoy! Delicious warm or cold.
Thanks to Delamere Dairy for inviting me to be involved in this paid project. Find out where to buy products over on their website.