Cheddar Cheese Bread

This cheese bread recipe was found on The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, which is my favorite cookbook for basic, reliable recipes. This bread was a breeze to make and was very popular on the dinner table. It was also delicious toasted. The only downside is that it contains so much dairy product. I may experiment with yogurt instead of sour cream and milk substitute in the future.

INGREDIENTS

3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (1 cup)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with an oven rack at the middle position. Generously coat a 9 by 5-inch loaf fan with grease then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Parmesan evenly over the bottom of the pan.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne, and black pepper together in a large ball. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the cheddar, breaking up clumps, until it is coated with the flour mixture. Whisk the milk, sour cream, melted butter, and egg together in a separate ball. Gently fold the milk mixture into flour mixture using a rubber spatula until combined only enough. Do not overmix.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with only a few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.
4. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour.

Puffed Artichoke Pie

Yet another try at a recipe from Stop and Smell the Rosemary. This was actually quite successful. I think it could've been more flavorful if I used less ricotta cheese and substituted some other cheese though as the filling did taste a bit bland after the first few bites. The recipe was for a 7-inch springform pan, but I used a 9-inch one here instead.

INGREDIENTS

1 package frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
15 ounce ricotta cheese
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained, and quartered
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt
freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut 2 9-inch diameter circles from each piece of pastry, reserving leftover pastry. Line bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with one of the circles and line sides with pieces cut from leftover pastry. Refrigerate pan and remaining pastry circle until ready to use.
2. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the beaten eggs. Pour remaining eggs in a medium bowl. Add ricotta, Parmesan, artichoke hearts, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon evenly into prepared springform pan. Top with remaining pastry circle, pinching edges together to seal. Brush top of pie with reserved 2 tablespoons beaten egg. Refrigerate 20 minutes to firm.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown and puffy. Cut into wedges and serve warm.