• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with a long strip of foil. Coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
• Next add the flour, baking soda, and salt, scraping the bottom of the bowl to be sure to incorporate everything. Fold in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.
• The dough may be quite sticky. Dollop it onto the prepared pan. Spray a piece of waxed paper with nonstick spray, then use the coated side to press down on the dough to roughly even it out. Then use a heavy drinking glass to press down more, creating an even, cohesive layer. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and gently tap in.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are brown and the top is golden. Cool completely.
• Use foil to lift out bars. Cut into thick finger-like pieces. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!

Make the dough

• In a medium saucepan, warm the half & half, water, and cubed butter until an instant thermometer reads 120-130 degrees. Immediately remove from heat. The butter should be melted.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Beat in the warm milk mixture. Beat on low to combine. Beat in egg.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add 2 more cups of flour. The shaggy dough will start to come together.
• Switch to a dough hook attachment. Continue beating dough until a soft dough forms, about 12 to 15 minutes. If it is excessively sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it smooths out.
• Turns dough out on a floured surface to knead for a minute, then shape it into a round.
• Add oil or nonstick spray to a large bowl. Place dough inside and flip it around to coat. Place a towel or plastic wrap as a lid and set to warm in a draft-free place, about 75 degrees, for 45 minutes to an hour. The dough should double in size.
• Punch down dough and cover it to rest for a few more minutes while more preparations are made.

Shape the rolls

• Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray with flour.
• Turn out dough onto a stretch of floured parchment paper. Roll out to a 15×12 rectangle. Using a bench knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into roughly 1-1/2 inch squares. Smaller pieces are fine, too.
• In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients: cheese, melted butter, rosemary, and basil. Toss in the dough pieces, moving them around to mix and coat.
• Pluck up pieces of dough and cheese and arrange them to more or less equally fill all 12 muffin cups. Pay attention to where the cheese is placed, because if it’s on the outside it could ooze out of the pan. Squeeze everything in. Cover with plastic wrap and set again to rise for 20 to 30 minutes. The rolls should look puffed.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Finish them!

• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the rolls.
• Bake for 24 to 27 minutes, until the tops are browned. An instant thermometer should read at least 200 degrees on the inside.
• As the rolls begin to cool in the pan, stir together the melted butter and salt. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the rolls. Serve hot.
• Store in the fridge for up to a few days, always warming to serve. Rolls can also be frozen for upwards of a month.

OM NOM NOM!

Make the dough

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth and creamy.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually combine with the wet mixture, scraping the bottom to incorporate everything. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• At this point, the dough can be divided, if desired, to freeze half or all. If baking soon, wrap and chill the dough for about two hours or overnight.
• To begin baking, preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a large or small scoop or spoon to dole out dough balls spaced out on cookie sheet. Large cookies will bake in about 15 to 18 minutes; small cookies will need 11 to 13 minutes. The edges should be golden brown. Let cookies sit for about 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Make the glaze

• Mix confectioners’ sugar and orange juice until thick and smooth. Use the back of a spoon to spread atop a cookie. Continue with the rest of the batch.
• Let cookies rest until glaze is set, about an hour or so, then transfer to a sealed container. Place waxed paper between layers if stacking the cookies. Store at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat the interior of a 10-cup bundt cake with baking spray with flour.
• Beat butter and almond paste together until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time followed by the extracts. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to mix in everything.
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet alternatively with the half & half/milk. Scrape the bottom of the bowl again, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, leveling out the top.
• Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. A thermometer plunged into the cake should read over 205 degrees.
• Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely, speeding in fridge, if desired.
• For the glaze, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, almond extract, and half & half, adding more sugar or liquid as needed to reach a good thick, oozy consistency. Dollop onto the cake so that it dribbles down the sides. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
• Store in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature. Cake can also be individually sliced and frozen for later.

OM NOM NOM!

Poolish:

• In a medium bowl, stir together bread flour, the water, all-purpose flour, and yeast. Get everything moist. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for 14 to 16 hours. Don’t stir. Just let it do its thing for half a day.

Dough:

• Place the poolish in the large bowl of a stand mixer, paddle attachment on. Add the 1 cup water, oil, and yeast. Follow that up with the two flours and salt. Beat for a few minutes.
• Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at medium speed until dough gathers around dough hook and begins to pull away from sides of bowl, 8 to 10 minutes. Pry it off the hook a few times, too, to make sure everything is well kneaded.
• Oil a large bowl. Dump the dough into that, pivoting the dough around to coat the whole surface with oil. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Let rise in a warm (75ish degrees), draft-free place. After 30 minutes, knead dough using a greased or floured hand to take turns folding all four sides over the middle.
• Let rise another 30 minutes. Fold again. Set the timer for another 30 minutes.
• Near the end of that rise, line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Lightly flour a level surface. Turn out dough, then pat it out into a thick 12×6 rectangle. Use fingertips or a butter knife to lightly demarcate the dough into 3-inch squares, then use the bench knife to slice them apart.
• Set the 8 portions spaced out on prepared pan. Pick up each and gently stretch as needed to even out the sides, tucking excess dough underneath.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a floured towel to let rise in a draft-free spot for another 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until puffed. The dough should hold an indentation if poked with a finger.
• Preheat oven at 425 degrees.
• Remove cover from rolls. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 18 minutes. An instant-read thermometer plunged into the center of one from the side should read 205 degrees at minimum.
• Let cool somewhat before eating fresh, or reheat at meal time. Store in a sealed container up to 5 days. They can also be frozen as long as a couple months.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Thoroughly coat the interior of a 10-cup bundt pan with baking spray with flour.
• In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and sugars. Add the eggs, cider, and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
• Dice up the apple into small pieces. This can also be done with a box grater.
• Mix half of dry mixture into the butter mixture. until just combined. Fold in apples along with any juice. Mix in remaining flour mixture. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, and make sure there are no white streaks.
• Scoop 2 cups of the batter into another bowl. Stir in the caramel sauce until the batter is fully incorporated and darker.
• Use two spring-loaded scoops or large serving spoons to dollop alternating lumps of the two batters into the prepared pan. Once all of the batter is inside lay out a folded kitchen towel and firmly tap the pan on it several times to help the dough settle and release air bubbles.
• Bake cake for an 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes; the middle needs to pass the toothpick test. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
• For glaze, if the caramel sauce is cold or stiff, measure it into a microwave-safe bowl and briefly and carefully zap in microwave to loosen. Mix in the vanilla.
• Place cake on a serving platter or plate. Drizzle caramel over top. If desired, sprinkle pecan pieces on top.
• Serve at room temperature; store for up to three days, covered. Leftover cake can be individually wrapped and frozen for later.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg followed by vanilla and molasses.
• In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything. Fold in the candied ginger pieces.
• Place the topping sugar in a bowl. Use a small scoop to shape the dough, then roll in sugar. Set spaced out on baking sheet.
• Bake for 11-12 minutes. Let set on sheet a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in a room temperature sealed container up to 2 days.

OM NOM NOM!

Make the crust:

• Melt the butter, either in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven at 350. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan foil to extends up all four sides. Apply nonstick spray to base and sides.
• Mix together the unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg, both extracts, and kosher salt. It will become smooth and glossy.
• Beat in the flour and baking powder to form a thick batter. Spread into an even layer.

Make the frangipane:

• Beat together the butter, white sugar, and kosher salt the mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.
• Add the two extracts followed by the eggs one at a time. The mixture may look curdled. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl again. Fold in the almond flour, mixing until everything is smooth.
• Dollop the frangipane over the base layer and smooth out using an uneven spatula. Evenly sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top and gently press in.

Bake and finish:

• Bake until golden brown and passes the toothpick test in the middle, 38 to 42 minutes. Let cool completely. Speed process in the fridge.
• Use foil to lift the contents onto cutting board. Sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Cut into pieces. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

OM NOM NOM!