cheese galore

• Preheat oven at 475-degrees. Line a big baking sheet with parchment.
• In a big bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Fold in the cheddar cheese.
• Fold the buttermilk into the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter, scraping the bottom of the bowl well to make sure everything is mixed in. Grease a 1/3 cup and use that to scoop up portions of dough to place spaced out on the baking sheet.
• As the biscuits bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until golden brown, prepare the topping. Melt the butter and stir in the garlic powder and parsley. As soon as the biscuits are out of the oven, brush on the topping to cover the nooks and crannies of every biscuit on the pan.
• Eat right away. Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for days. They can be microwaved, but are best warmed in an oven or toaster oven.

OM NOM NOM!

• Beat cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy. Add white sugar to fully incorporate. Mix in egg and peppermint extract. Stir in droplets of food color to reach desired tint. Set bowl aside.
• Prepare a 9×9 pan by lining it with foil and applying nonstick spray or butter to grease it. Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
• Using a microwave-safe bowl, in brief bursts heat the butter and dark chocolate, stirring well between each pass, until both are melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• In the large bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat together both sugars, the vanilla, and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, and continue to beat at a high speed for 10 minutes. With the mixer on low, pour in the butter-chocolate. Use a spatula to fold in the flour and cocoa until just combined. Batter will be thick.
• Pour half the brownie batter into the prepared pan; use an offset spatula to even it out. Add about half the cheesecake mix in dollops. Repeat twice more, adding brownie and cheesecake in alternate dolloped layers. Use a butter knife to swirl everything together to create a marbled effect.
• Bake for about 45 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool to room temperature then cut into pieces.

OM NOM NOM!

• Add ingredients EXCEPT cheese into the bread machine. That often means the liquids first. Set the machine on dough cycle and start; this should run for about 2 hours. Once the dough starts mixing, sprinkle in about half the cheese. If necessary–and if safely possible, dependent on the machine–use a spatula to press cheese into the dough. Let dough cycle continue until done.
• Prepare a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan by greasing with butter or nonstick spray.
• Pat out dough on an even lightly-greased surface. It’s time to add the rest of the cheese using a process roughly like French butter lamination.
• Sprinkle a handful of cheese over the lower portion of dough. Fold top part over it, then fold dough the other way, creating a fat dough ball. Pat out dough again. Repeat process again one or two more times, until only a handful of cheese is left.
• Pat out dough again. Use a small round cutter to slice out portions of dough. Place them in the prepared pan, spaced so they don’t quite touch. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover pan with plastic wrap or a light towel and let rise again in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until rolls become puffy and double in size.
• Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
• Bake rolls for 15 to 22 minutes. If they begin to brown too much, cover with foil halfway through. Let rolls cool a few minutes before serving.
• Completely cooled rolls can be frozen in gallon freezer bags for several months. Sealed rolls will keep well at room temperature for at least 6 days. They are good eaten at room temperature, but are best briefly warmed in the oven.

*OM NOM NOM!*

• Hours or days before baking day: Sprinkle flour on a flat, clean surface. Roll out the puff pastry to make a 12-inch square. Cut in half. Sprinkle cheese over both halves. Place prosciutto slices to completely cover cheese; if there is extra meat, layer on the additional pieces. Roll the short sides of each piece of pastry together to meet in the middle–from the end, it will look rather like a number 3. Repeat this with the other half.
• Encase both logs in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least an hour, but as long as several days.
• Preheat oven at 400-degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Pull out frozen logs to thaw for just a few minutes. While it is still mostly frozen, slice into 1/4-inch pieces and place spaced out on parchment. (Note that the end pieces may be sparse on filling and not presentable for company, but still worth baking up for private enjoyment.)
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until palmiers are golden brown and puffed. They are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated. They are okay cold, but better toasted briefly again in the oven.

OM NOM NOM!

• Move rack to top third of oven and start to preheat at 425-degrees. Rub or brush a 9×13 casserole pan or rimmed baking sheet with oil.
• In a large bowl, use a big spoon to mash together the 2 Tablespoons oil, eggs, panko, liquid, salt, pepper, seasoning, garlic powder, and cheese. The goal is to create a smooth paste. Add a handful of meat. Mix in, and gradually drop in the rest of the meat to thoroughly combine.
• Use a food scale to weigh the meat, then divide that total by 8 (or any other desired increment). With oiled hands, press together meatballs, weighing each to create ones of equal size.
• Bake meatballs for 20 minutes. Use a metal spatula to carefully flip over each for the browned-bottom is on top. Bake for another 6 to 10 minutes, until meatballs are fully browned. An instant read thermometer plunged into one should read over 160-degrees.
• Serve as desired. Leftovers are great to refrigerate or freeze.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Cut a parchment round to fit the bottom of the springform pan. Apply nonstick spray or butter on bottom of sides of pan, add the parchment, then grease it as well.
• In a big bowl, mix flour with 3/4 cup of sugar. Cut in butter until it is crumbly. Measure out 1/2 cup crumb mixture for topping; set aside.
• To the bulk of the flour mix, add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in yogurt, 1 egg, and almond extract, until blended. Spread batter onto bottom of the springform pan.
• In a small bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and egg, to make it as smooth as possible. It's okay if it still has some clumps. Pour it onto the pan and smooth out. Spoon the preserves all across the top. Sprinkle with the reserved crumb topping and the sliced almonds.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The middle should no longer be jiggly, the top a nice golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes then unlatch and life away the pan's ring to let the cake cool for another hour. Then place cake in fridge to complete set and cool for a few hours.
• Cake can be eaten cold or after slices are brought to room temperature after about 30 to 45 minutes. Do remember to store cake in the fridge, as it does contain cream cheese! Slices can also be individually wrapped and frozen, and will thaw in the fridge with no issue.

OM NOM NOM!