There is no denying it: I do love cheese. And not only am I guilty of sampling from the cheese trolley, but also many of the recipes that I develop for Taste call for cheese. Having been part of the judging panel for the SA dairy championships recently, I was very grateful to have had the camemberts and bries to judge.

Today I quite fancy a cheessert, a slightly different approach to a dessert. The one that instantly comes to mind is a luscious cheesecake, but my food hero Nigel Slater is the one who inspires me to think up cheesserts. He loves to combine something sweet and a wedge or shaving of cheese to complement it.

My favourite ever is to bake ripe figs, stuffed with gorgonzola, and drizzle them with cream. It’s a glorious combination and makes the ultimate ending to a dinner.

When The Test Kitchen in Salt River first opened, the first dessert I had there was a tomato, basil, gooseberry, mozzarella and coconut cheessert: slightly sweet perfectly offset by something savoury.

I have some more ideas for you to try using some wonderful locally made cheeses and winter seasonal fruits:

• Bake peeled whole oranges in verjuice and honey with a few bay leaves, and serve with ripe brie or goat’s cheese.
• Poach peeled pears in sherry and bay leaves. Slice and eat with biscotti and blue cheese.
• Mix together ricotta, chopped dates and chopped dark chocolate. Spoon into a bowl, sprinkle with brown sugar, and grill until the sugar has melted.
• Peel, core and halve ripe juicy pears, and fill them with mascarpone mixed with Greek yoghurt and chopped fennel. Drizzle with maple syrup or vinno cotto before serving.
• Grate pineapple and mix with chopped preserved ginger, ground almonds and chevin. Eat with brandy snaps.

Enjoy!
Abigail

Photographs: Kimilili’s Witzenberger cheese, figs by Rowena, SA Cheese Festival.