Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies | Salmon Fillet in Puff Pastry with Citrus Beurre Blanc | Savory Artichoke Cheesecake

1/2 Pound Unsalted Cabot Butter 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Cup Sugar 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla 2 Extra Large Eggs 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa 2 Cups King Arthur Flour 1 tsp. Baking Soda 1 Pound Chopped White Chocolate

Preheat oven to 350F. In an electric mixer, cream both the sugars and the butter until fluffy and light. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, and mix well. Add cocoa and mix.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add to cocoa mixture on low speed until just combined. Fold in white chocolate pieces.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop the dough onto the sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 10 -12 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 4 (3-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned and boned 1 egg 1 teaspoon water Pinch of salt 2 (17-ounce) packages frozen puff pastry, thawed

This is definitely a special occasion dish. It can be made early in the day and then taken from the refrigerator to the oven. We always have a lot of fun in our kitchen cutting out the fish design and snipping scales with the scissors. Halibut, sea bass, or any other firm white fish can be substituted. This is not only easy, but impressive.

Whisk together the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl. Brush this mixture over the salmon fillets; set aside.

Make a cardboard cutout of a fish with a tail by referring to the picture on page 99. Make sure that your cutout is slightly larger than the salmon fillets so that it will completely encase the fillets, plus have a small border beyond them to allow you to seal the pastry.

Beat the egg, water and a pinch of salt in a bowl; set aside. Roll out each sheet of puff pastry, 1 at a time, on a lightly floured surface. Cut out a total of 8 pastry fish, 2 per sheet, by tracing around the cardboard fish with a sharp knife. Place the pastry fish in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet or a lightly sprayed sheet tray. Refrigerate the trays of fish as they are completed.

Work with 2 pastry fish at a time, keeping the remaining in the refrigerator. Lightly brush each pastry fish with the egg mixture. Place 1 salmon fillet on 1 of the pastry fish. Mold the salmon fillet to follow the shape of the pastry fish cutout. Brush the egg mixture lightly around the edges of the pastry. Cover the fillet with the second pastry fish, making sure the fillet is completely covered. Press the edges of the pastry together with fingertips, and then use the tines of a fork to make a tighter seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared several hours ahead to this point. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake.)

Brush the egg mixture lightly over the entire fish. Repeat with the remains pastry fish and salmon fillets.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with citrus beurre blanc.

Note: Before baking the fish, you can make them look more whimsical by making little snips with a sharp scissors over the bodies for scales and a few strokes with a paring knife on the tails. Also, a single caper can be inserted to simulate a fish eye.

1 cup dry white wine Juice of 1/2 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1 shallot, minced (3 tablespoons) 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 16 chunks Salt to taste

Combine the wine, lemon juice and shallot in a small saucepan. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to 1 tablespoon. Add the heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat and add 1 piece of butter at a time while whisking constantly. You may need to return the saucepan to heat in order to incorporate all the butter. Be careful not to get sauce too hot or it will break. Strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve. Season with salt. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Note: This sauce can be made ahead and kept warm in a thermal container.

2 teaspoons butter softened 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian herbs 16 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 cup sour cream 3 eggs 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts 1 small red bell pepper 1 small green bell pepper, chopped 6 green onions, white bulbs and 1/2 inch of green tops, chopped 1 large clove of garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Reserved artichoke hearts Reserved red bell pepper strips 6 fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Serves 20
This is a delicious spread with a savory taste. It is a great make-ahead hors d’oeuvre to serve at home or take to a party.

Crust:  Grease a 9-inch springform pan with the butter. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and herbs in a bowl. Add to the buttered pan, rotating and tilting the pan to coat the bottom and side with the crumb mixture. Tap out any excess crumb mixture from the pan and reserve.

Cheesecake:  Process the cream cheese in a food processor until fluffy, scraping the sides of the container. Add the feta cheese and sour cream. Process until smooth. Add the eggs, beating until smooth.

Reserve 2 of the artichoke hearts for garnish. Drain and chop the remaining artichoke hearts and add to the cheese mixture. Cut 4 small strips from the red pepper; reserve for garnish. Chop the remaining red pepper and add to the cheese mixture with the green pepper, green onions, garlic, tarragon, chopped basil, salt and pepper. Pulse until thoroughly blended. Spoon the cheese mixture into the prepared springform pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, in the pan for at least 2 hours. Remove from the pan. Pat the reserved crumb mixture on the outside edge of the cheesecake.

Garnish:  Arrange the reserved artichoke hearts, reserved red pepper strips, basil leaves and parsley decoratively on top of the cheesecake. Serve with toast points or crackers.

NOTE: One teaspoon of dried tarragon and 1 teaspoon of driedbasil can be substituted if fresh herbs are not available. Also, a thin layer of sour cream can be spread on top if desired.