3 recipes with cheese, because according to research, Britons would rather give up chocolate than cheddar

Research has shown that we would rather give up chocolate than our favorite cheese.

On average we eat 135 grams per week, and there are 2,000 types.

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Jassy Davis’s book Unbrielievable contains over 60 recipes, using everything from fresh curds to cave-aged cheeses.

She says, “Whether you like it light and lemony, salty and spicy, or rich and stinky, there’s a cheese and a dish for you.”

Natasha Harding presents three recipes from Jassy.

• From Unbrielievable by Jassy Davis (HarperNonFiction, £12.99) is out on Thursday.

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Mini cheese frittatas (serves 6)

Preparation: 20 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• Olive oil, for greasing
• 200 g cherry tomatoes
• 150g kale
• 50g Parmesan cheese
• 6 medium eggs
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a six-hole muffin tin with olive oil. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Halve the tomatoes, place them on the baking tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and slightly charred.

In the meantime, wash the kale, remove the woody core and chop the kale coarsely.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the kale and simmer for two minutes, or until the kale has wilted.

Drain, rinse under cold water and let drain.

Grate the Parmesan cheese finely. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Beat until well mixed.

Tear a few basil leaves and stir until combined. Transfer the kale to a paper towel and pat dry to remove any remaining water.

Divide the kale and roasted tomatoes over the cavities of the muffin tin.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, filling each well almost to the brim.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the frittatas are cooked through and golden brown.

Allow the mini frittatas to cool in the tin for a few minutes before carefully removing them.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheese Scones (for 12 pieces)

Preparation: 20 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• 600g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250 g old Cheddar cheese
• 2 medium eggs
• 300 ml buttermilk
• Milk, for icing
• Sea salt, to taste

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Dust a baking tray with a little flour.

Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl.

Add a pinch of salt. Beat until combined.

Coarsely grate the cheese and add to the bowl, reserving about 50g for sprinkling. Stir to combine.

Beat eggs and buttermilk together. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour.

Stir the dry and liquid ingredients together by hand until a soft, dry dough forms.

Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and roll out the dough. Knead briefly to bring it together.

Press into a circle about 2½ cm high. Press out 12 circles with a 7 cm fluted cutter.

Place the scones on the plate. Brush the tops with milk and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake the scones for ten minutes, or until they release easily from the baking sheet and feel light.

Let it cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then serve warm with butter.

Cottage cheese pancakes (for 4 people)

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• 300 g cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 g all-purpose flour (plain)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50 g caster sugar
• Sea salt, to taste
• Rapeseed oil or butter, for frying
• Fresh fruit and honey, to serve

METHOD: Place the cottage cheese in a blender, crack the eggs on top and add the vanilla extract. Blend on high speed until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt and mix again until combined.

Grease a frying pan with a little oil or butter and heat over medium heat.

Use a small ladle or scoop to pour in enough batter to make three to four pancakes. Keep them small – 6-7cm in diameter is perfect.

Cook for one to two minutes or until the top of the pancake is dry and the bubbles have burst. Flip and cook for another minute.

Transfer the mixture to a plate and keep warm in the oven on the lowest setting while you cook the rest of the pancakes.

Re-grease the pan if necessary. You should be able to make about 30 pancakes.

Serve the pancakes warm with fresh fruit and honey.