Helen Olesss Cheddar Cheese Ring Recipes

CHEESE RING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt until well blended. Coat a ring shaped gelatin mold generously with cooking spray. Spoon the cheese mixture into the mold, cover, and chill for 2 to 3 hours to set.
• Unmold onto a serving plate, and pour raspberry preserves into the center. Arrange wheat crackers around the outside of the ring.

HERBED CHEESE RINGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, oil, honey, egg, salt, whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour and herbs. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Punch dough down and turn onto a floured surface; divide in half. Roll one portion into a 15x10-in. rectangle. Combine filling ingredients; sprinkle half over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal., Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends together to form a ring. With a sharp knife, cut 1/2-in. slashes at 2-in. intervals. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 350°. Brush each ring with egg; sprinkle with sesame seeds and cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

HELEN OLESS'S CHEDDAR CHEESE RING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
• In a saucepan, heat milk, butter, salt and sugar to lukewarm. Add 4 cups of cheese gradually and stir until cheese and butter are melted. Pour into a large bowl and when lukewarm, add yeast mixture and 2 cups semolina flour.
• Work the mixture with a wire whisk until smooth then add caraway seeds and dry mustard. Mix. Batter will begin to thicken and take on a grainy look. Add 1/2 cup of cheese. Mix.
• Add 3 cups bread flour, gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon. Dough will be sticky.
• Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, gradually adding remaining 2 cups of flour.
• If you want to make a braided loaf, shape the dough into 3 balls of equal size and roll out each ball into an 8-inch-by-12-inch rectangle with rolling pin. Starting two inches from the top, slice each rectangle into three equal-size strips. Loosely braid the strips on each rectangle. Pinch the braided ends and form a circle with each piece of dough by connecting it with the other end. This will yield three rings. (If you want a nonbraided ring, simply roll out the three equal-size dough balls into loaves in the shape of French bread, and make a ring.) Make slashes on top of the ring with a sharp knife.
• Place dough rings on baking sheets dusted with cornmeal and let them rise until doubled.
• Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, until a hollow sound is heard when the bottom is tapped.

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR CRESCENT RING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add the broccoli, oil, crushed red pepper, garlic and 2/3 cup water to a large skillet and stir until combined. Cover and bring to a boil. Let the broccoli steam until bright green and just crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the lid and let the water continue to boil until it is completely evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and transfer to a medium bowl. Let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir the cream cheese.
• Coat the back of a baking sheet with cooking spray. Unroll both cans of crescent dough and separate unto 16 triangles. Put a 5-inch ramekin in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the triangles in a ring around the ramekin so the short sides of the dough are touching the ramekin, overlapping slightly, and the pointed ends are facing outward (it should look like a giant sun).
• Spoon the broccoli mixture over the short ends of the triangles closest to the ramekin. Cover the broccoli with the cheese slices and remove the ramekin. Take hold of the pointed end of one of the triangles and fold it up and over the filling, tucking the tip under the bottom edge of dough to secure (the dough will not cover the filling completely). Repeat with the remaining triangles (there will be some gaps where you can see the broccoli mixture).
• Bake until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to slide the ring off the baking sheet onto a platter. Serve with Ranch dressing for dipping.

HELEN OLESS'S PROSCIUTTO AND OLIVE BRAID

Steps:

• Sprinkle baking sheet, approximately 9 1/2 by 11 inches, with cornmeal and set aside.
• Saute prosciutto in 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in garlic, fennel seed and pepper. Pour contents into large mixing bowl.
• Add hot water, yeast and sugar.
• Stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Beat in 1/4 cup shortening. Add chopped olives.
• Add 1 more cup of all-purpose flour. Dough will be sticky at this point. Scrape out onto work surface.
• Gradually knead in 3 cups of bread flour until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Cover with inverted bowl; rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll dough into a 10-inch-by-15-inch rectangle. Cut three strips in rectangle, leaving about 1/2 inch at end uncut. Braid and pinch bottom end.
• Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until light and doubled in volume - about one hour. When doubled, bake in preheated 400-degree oven until hollow sound is heard when loaf is tapped on bottom.

MARINATED OLIVE & CHEESE RING

Steps:

• Cut cream cheese lengthwise in half; cut each half into 1/4-in. slices. On a serving plate, arrange cheeses upright in a ring, alternating cheddar and cream cheese slices. Place olives in center., In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, parsley, basil and garlic until blended; drizzle over cheeses and olives. Sprinkle with pimientos. Refrigerate, covered, at least 8 hours or overnight. Serve with baguette slices.

ROSALYNN CARTER'S CHEESE RING

Steps:

• Combine cheese with mayo, chopped nuts and onions.
• Mix in black pepper and cayenne, and blend thoroughly.
• Press into a 3-cup ring mold.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• To serve, dip mold into a pan of hot water for 15-20 seconds before turning out onto a serving platter. Fill center with strawberry preserves. Serve with crackers of your choice.