Simple Apple-Blue Cheese Spread

(Courtesy of Susan Hagen)

Apples are everywhere now!

I’m working on a new apple-cheese spread, which will be posted shortly. Meanwhile, here’s one I created last fall. Somehow it didn’t make it onto this blog, which is a shame. It’s simple, and it combines two of my favorite foods.

If you use really great blue cheese — think Stilton or Roquefort! — this spread for crackers will be truly elegant. It’s pretty tasty with generic blue cheese, however.

You may be tempted to add a little more apple, but if you do you’ll end up with a rather wet spread.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons sweet butter
2 large apples (about 2 cups), cored and sliced (but not peeled)
4 ounces (about 1 cup) blue cheese, crumbled
1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, softened

Instructions:

In a small, nonstick frying pan, sauté the onion pieces in the butter until they begin to soften. Add the apple pieces. Cook and keep stirring until they are slightly soft as well. Beat the cheeses together with a mixer or wooden spoon. Stir in the apple-onion mixture. Place the mixture in a bowl. Chill for at least 1 hour; then bring the spread to room temperature before serving. Makes about two cups.

Keep this spread refrigerated for up to three or four days, but be sure to bring it to room temperature again before you eat it to optimize flavor and texture.