cheese galore

• Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the cheese, sugar, yogurt, egg, and vanilla to make smooth.
• Pour about half the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Smooth it out with an uneven spatula.
• Dollop on all of the cheese mixture. Then add spoonfuls of the jam to fill any gaps. Follow up by adding dollops of the remaining blondie batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the layers together for a marbled effect.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the middle is not jiggly and passes the toothpick test. Cool for at least an hour at room temperature, then chill in fridge. Once the pan is cool, use the foil to lift the blondies onto a cutting board to slice into bars.
• Enjoy promptly or store in a sealed container in the fridge to eat over the coming days.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Prepare the sliced apples by using a large bowl to stir them with sugar, lemon juice, and pie spice. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread apple mixture in an even layer on prepared pan.
• Bake the apples until they are fork-tender and have released significant moisture, 12 to 16 minutes. Rotate the pan and stir halfway through. The apples should reduce in size slightly but retain their shape. Let the apples cool while continuing with other stages. Also, turn off the oven, as it won’t be needed for a while.
• Begin the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1/2 cup flour, white sugar, brown sugar, yeast, and salt at medium-low speed. Add the warm milk, eggs, and vanilla, beating everything on medium about 2 minutes until it’s combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl a few times. Gradually add the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour.
• Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until dough is smooth and elastic. It should start to pull away from sides of bowl. This will be around 6 to 9 minutes.
• Add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. This will take 6 to 8 minutes total. Scrape the sides of bowl and dough hook as needed. If the dough looks slightly broken during this stage, that's okay–keeping beating it and it'll come back together.
• Increase mixer speed to medium-low and beat until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 6 minutes.
• Turn out dough onto a clean surface and knead 4 to 5 times. Shape into a smooth round. Place dough in a large ungreased bowl. (At this stage, the dough could be covered and placed in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.) Cover it and place it in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cut a piece of parchment to fit in the base of a springform pan. Apply nonstick spray with flour in pan. Add cut paper. Spray again to coat paper and sides.
• Punch down dough, then cover it and let it rest for about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 11-inch circle. Use the bottom of the springform pan to poke a 9-inch circle in the middle of the dough. Fold and press outside edges inward to create a crimped edge. Lift the dough to place it in the prepared pan. Press dough to make sure it fills the bottom. Crimp and secure the edges again if needed. Cover and let rise again in a warm place for 25 minutes. Dough should be puffed and hold an indentation when it’s poked.
• Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
• Now make the filling. In the clean bowl of the stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and pie spice at medium speed. Gradually add the cream cheese, beating until smooth. Add egg, beating until combined, then add the flour. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is mixed.
• Use your fingertips to dimple center of dough back down, leaving outside crust higher and puffed. Crimp and secure edges if necessary, and press out any air bubbles if you see them.
• Spoon and spread cream cheese mixture in an even layer in center of dough. Arrange the sliced apples slightly overlapping in two concentric circles. (You may have leftover slices. Eat’em on their own!)
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Brush outer edge of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle pearl sugar along the crust.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate pan. If the crust is browning, cover it with foil. Bake for another 25 to 28 minutes. When the tart is done, the crust will be golden brown. The filling should be set around outside edges and slightly jiggly in center. An instant-read thermometer inserted in center should register at least 175-degrees.
• Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, loosen edges of bread. Remove sides of springform pan. Let cool completely on pan base on a wire rack.
• The tart can be enjoyed fresh after it cools. Leftovers should be stored in the fridge, but will be cloggy if eaten chilled. It’s best warmed with a short zap in the microwave, about 15-20 seconds; if it’s made too hot, the cream cheese melts! Leftovers can also be individually wrapped and frozen for later. Thaw in fridge.

OM NOM NOM!

• Grate the butter using a hand grater or a grater attachment on a food processor. In a large bowl, use a pastry blender to cut in the cheese, which will be crumbly. Add the flour, followed by the yolks and water. Knead the dough until it comes together in a cohesive mass.
• Form the dough into a disc and encase it in plastic wrap to chill for anywhere from an hour to several days.
• When it’s cookie time, preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a small amount of water in a saucer or bowl. Measure the white sugar into a deep bowl.
• Prepare a clean work surface with a dusting of flour. Break off some of the dough and roll it into a thin layer, like for a pie crust. Use the cutter to slice out 3-inch rounds; place the leftover and unused dough to chill in the fridge while cookies are shaped.
• Dampen fingers in the prepared water. Brush wet fingers over one side of a dough round. Dip moist dough into the sugar to coat it. Fold in half with the sugared portion on the inside. Dampen fingers and stroke another folded side of the dough, and dip that in sugar. Fold a final time with the sugared section on the inside. Use wet fingers on outside of cookie and coat that in sugar, too. Gently press the pleats together to prevent them from unfolding during baking. Place formed cookie on sheet and repeat process with remaining rounds.
• Bring together dough scraps, using a little water if needed, to roll out again. Use rest of dough to form cookies.
• Bake in batches for 19 to 22 minutes, until puffed and set with a golden base. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!

Make the filling

• Beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar to make a smooth mixture with few if any lumps. Stash it in the fridge to chill for a few hours or overnight.

Make the cookie dough

• Beat together the butter and both sugars until they are creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually pour this into the butter mixture, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make certain everything is combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Baking the cookies

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Also, make room in the fridge for a small baking pan or plates on which the formed cookies will chill.
• Scoop out a tablespoon of cookie dough. Use a thumb to hollow out the center. Scoop out about 3/4 teaspoon of cream cheese mix using the smaller scoop. Place that inside the hollow. Fold the dough to enclose it, adding additional pinches of dough as needed to form a seal. You don't want any cream cheese visible, or it could ooze out! Flatten cookies between palms to make a fat disc. Set in fridge to chill as more cookies are shaped.
• Once all the cookies are shaped, pull out the coldest cookie balls to set, spaced out, on the baking sheet. Keep the remaining cookie balls chilled while the initial batch(es) bake.
• Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Let them rest on the sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to completely cool.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

OM NOM NOM!

• In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave 1/4 cup beer until it is 105-110-degrees Fahrenheit. (If it overheats, cool it for a few minutes.) Add sugar and yeast, stirring to combine. Let it sit about 5 minutes; it should become foamy. Stir in 6 Tablespoons of melted butter and the remaining 3/4 cup beer.
• In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix 2 cups flour, a healthy pinch of shredded cheese, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, and the kosher salt. Add yeast mixture and stir for a minute. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup flour, beating until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. That will be after 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, and let it stand in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
• Apply nonstick spray to the wells in a 12-cup muffin pan.
• Punch down dough and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll a half into a 12-inch square. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese over the dough. Use a bench knife or pizza cutter to slice dough into 6 equal strips. Stack strips, cheese side up, and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Place each segment of 6 stacked mini strips into a muffin cup. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Slightly separate and stretch each piece of dough in the cups. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel to rise in a warm spot for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven at 375-degrees, then bake fantails for 20 to 24 minutes, until browned with visible melted cheese.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Add 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, stirring to distribute. Use a pastry brush to coat each fantail with buttery goodness. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
• Leftovers should be refrigerated and will reheat beautifully in the coming days. Use an oven or toasted oven, and wrap up the rolls in foil. Add a touch of butter, if desired, to keep them from becoming extra crisp. Heat until warmed.

OM NOM NOM!

To make the dough

• Warm the milk and water together, in the microwave or on the stove, to about 110-degrees. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes to start bubbling; if the room is cold, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel to encourage warmth.
• Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Beat using a dough hook for about five minutes, or longer if by hand, to form a soft dough. Move to a larger greased bowl and cover, letting rise for an hour to an hour and a half.

Shape and fill the khachapuri

• Combine the two cheeses in a bowl. Mash in the egg to completely incorporate.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough onto the surface, dividing in half. Form each into a round; set one aside. Use a rolling pin to extend a piece of dough to be about ten inches across. Lift it onto parchment paper. Repeat with the other piece of dough, either fitting onto the same parchment or a second piece.
• Spoon half the cheese mixture into the middle of a bread sheet, spreading out to about an inch from the edge. Fold the bare edge over to meet the cheese, shaping it into a cheese canoe, pinching the ends together and twisting to seal. Repeat with the second half.
• Preheat oven at 450-degrees and place pizza stone in oven to heat up. Let khachapuri rise for 30 minutes.
• Carefully pull out the pizza stone. Use parchment to lift khachapuris onto the stone. Bake for 12 minutes. If adding the traditional cracked egg to top each piece, then do so now. In any case, turn around khachapuri and bake for another 4 minutes. Crust should be browned with cheese fully melted.
• Let set for 10 minutes. If desired, add chopped basil, red pepper flakes, or other herbs. Serve!

OM NOM NOM!