Heraldic Blueberry Cheese Pie

Swirls of blueberry in cheesecake filling…

Medieval Modern…

While puff-pastry of a sort was used in the 13th-century, it wasn’t until the 17th-century that it became what it is today. Still, cheesecake filling has been around for hundreds of years, so something like this wouldn’t be so foreign to ancient eyes. And this particulr design has a bit of an ancient, rustic look to it.

I was scrolling along when Martha Stewart’s recipe for a Cherry Cheese Strudel Pie appeared. It was love at first sight.
It was the somewhat heraldic-looking pastry frame that caught my eye.
It’s made with puff-pastry which meant it was probably going to be on the easier side, given most puff used is ready to go at the grocery store.

There is only one thing about this recipe that is not completely easy - and that’s only because you have to pay attention to how the puff is rolled out, scored and doubled over on the edge. But there’s a link on her website to a video which makes it all very easy to follow along.

That said, even on Martha’s site, there are a few tips that make it simpler. After making this recipe, I agree with her tips, but rather than spell all that out, I’ll talk about what I did and then you can watch the video for yourself at the link at the bottom of the post and check out Martha’s recipe.

Right before the second bake…

Small Changes…

The first thing I did differently was to use frozen wild blueberries vs the frozen tart cherries used in Martha’s recipe. Not because I wanted to be different, but I had just made a cherry dessert a few days earlier and wanted something different. These worked beautifully and I liked their smaller size.

The way the recipe works is that you first bake the pastry until it’s golden, then you cool it, and fill it with the cheesecake-like center and lastly swirl your fruit mixture in. Then you bake again for another 30 minutes.

This recipe was easy, the only part that gave me a problem was when, watching the video, he folds the dough in half and cuts it out as a semi-oval, then unfolds it to reveal a full oval and oval sides (this will make sense as you watch the video). My pastry got too warm and basically melded together. That’s why the next time I make this, I would follow the tip on Martha’s site and not fold it over to create oval, I would just cut out a large oval and not worry if one side wasn’t exactly the same as the other.

I also noticed on the video it does not show him making little score marks around the whole edge, but on his finished product they are definitely there. I added score marks around the frame to create the rope look.

Blueberry cheese tart slices

Link to Recipe and Video…

Aside from that, it was really easy-peasy, and this would be a fantastic dessert for a regal-themed renaissance or medieval fantasy party. You can make it ahead too, which is always a big plus when entertaining.

Here’s the link to the video and recipe:
Cheese Strudel Pie