Savory Cheesecake with Honeyed Walnuts

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Add the walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the breadcrumbs and the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is combined. Press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 4″ spring-form pan.

Wipe out the bowl of the food processor with a paper towel and then add the cream cheese, blue cheese, sour cream, egg, lemon juice and pepper. Puree until fully combined, then add the chives and pulse a couple more times to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared spring-form pan, place on a baking sheet to catch drips and bake for approximately 30 minutes. If you notice that the top is getting too brown during baking, simply cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. The cheesecake may puff up like a souffle during baking but will settle once it’s cooled. Remove from oven when done.

Allow it to cool thoroughly, ideally overnight, before removing from the pan.

Before serving, combine the walnuts and honey in a bowl and toss to combine. Place the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast in a preheated 400 F oven for 8 – 10 minutes. Sprinkle nuts on top of the cheesecake before serving with crackers and wine.