Vermont Cheese Powder Recipes

VERMONT CHEDDAR CHEESE AND HERBED TWISTS

Steps:

• Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl.
• Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured work surface to 18x10-inch rectangle (pastry will be thin). Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese mixture evenly over half of pastry; fold plain half of pastry over cheese, forming 10x9-inch rectangle; press to adhere. Repeat 2 more times, rolling to 18x10-inch rectangle, sprinkling with 1/3 of cheese mixture, and folding. Roll out pastry again to 18x10-inch rectangle. Transfer to unlined baking sheet. Chill 30 minutes.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut pastry crosswise in half, forming two 10x9-inch rectangles. Trim and discard uneven edges of pastry. Cut each rectangle crosswise into scant 1/2-inch-wide strips. Twist each strip a few times and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch apart, dabbing ends lightly with water and pressing to adhere to parchment.
• Bake twists until golden brown, reversing position of sheets halfway through baking, about 10 minutes total. Cool twists on sheets. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover twists on sheets tightly with foil and store at room temperature. If desired, rewarm uncovered in 350°F oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.)
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

VERMONT CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Boil potatoes in well-salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well in a colander and place in the bowl of a stand mixer with a wire whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes to allow steam to escape.
• Turn off mixer and add cheese, baking powder, salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Beat again for a minute or so.
• Add butter and cream, mixing slowly, then increase speed to medium and drizzle in beaten eggs. Stop and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula to make sure ingredients are incorporated evenly. Beat at medium-high speed until mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve immediately in a heated bowl. Alternatively, transfer potatoes to a 2-quart baking dish, cover with foil and let stand at room temperature. Reheat for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees, until piping hot. (If you want the top browned, remove foil halfway through baking. Otherwise give the potatoes a stir before serving.)

VERMONT CHEESE CRACKERS

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, cheese powder, yeast, salt, and baking powder. If you're using baker's ammonia in place of baking powder, set it aside.
• Add the shortening, working it in to make an unevenly crumbly mixture.
• If you're using baker's ammonia, dissolve it in a tablespoon of the ice water, and sprinkle it over the dry mixture before adding the remaining ice water. Whether you're using baking powder or baker's ammonia, stir and toss in enough of the ice water to make a cohesive (but not sticky) dough.
• Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a small rectangular slab.
• Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a couple of hours; don't chill longer than that. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Very lightly flour a piece of parchment, your rolling pin, and the top of the dough. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough about 1/16" thick, or slightly thicker. If you don't have parchment, roll on a lightly floured work surface or silicone rolling mat. The dough will have ragged, uneven edges; that's OK. Just try to make it as even as possible.
• If you've used parchment, gently slide the parchment and crackers onto a baking sheet. Cut the dough into 1 1/4" squares; a rolling pizza wheel works well here. Don't separate the squares. If you haven't used parchment, gently fold the rolled dough in half, pick it up, and place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet, THEN cut it.
• Prick each square with the tines of a fork.
• Bake the crackers for about 8 minutes, till the ones on the outside are starting to brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and transfer the browned crackers to a cooling rack or piece of parchment; they're done. Quickly and carefully pull the remaining crackers apart to separate them. Return to the oven.
• Bake for an additional 3 minutes or so, or until the remaining crackers are a very light golden brown. You'll need to watch these closely at the end; don't walk away from the oven. They go from golden to dark brown very quickly.
• Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.