A dessert Grilled Cheese!
ingredients
FOR THE POUND CAKE:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 sticks butter
6 ounces cream cheese
2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
FOR THE SPOOKY “CHEESE”:
18 ounces white chocolate compound chocolate
3/4 cup light corn syrup
gel food coloring (orange and black)
TO ASSEMBLE:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 stick butter (softened)
directions
To make the Pound Cake: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 and 1/2-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour and salt and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, begin to cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on low speed. Turn the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
Return the mixer to low speed and continue to mix as you add the eggs, two at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread so that it is smooth in the pan. Bake for about 2 hours, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pan halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
For the Spooky “Cheese”: Put the compound chocolate and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water).
Let the chocolate melt a bit, then stir gently with a spatula to combine the ingredients. Stir until smooth and homogenous.
Before it cools and solidifies, divide the melted chocolate mixture; 2/3 in one small bowl, and 1/3 in the other. In the bowl with 2/3 of the chocolate mixture add the orange gel food coloring and mix until bright orange. In the bowl with the remaining chocolate mixture add the black gel food coloring and mix until deep black. Let the chocolate cool to room temperature, then cover and let stand overnight.
For Assembly: In a small pot over medium high heat, whisk together the sugar and water until combined. Allow mixture to come to a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool in a small bowl.
Remove each color of modeling chocolate from its bowl and gently knead it before flattening it with your fingers as you would with fondant. Divide the orange and black doughs into 3 even parts. Working in batches on a nonstick mat or board, using a small nonstick rolling pin, roll the orange dough into a sheet 1/4-inch thick and a little more than 4-inches square. Roll the black dough into 1/8-inch thick and a little more than 4-inches square. Starting with the orange dough square on the bottom, top with the black square dough on top, repeating with the remaining orange and black dough, alternating colors. Chill for about 30 minutes, or until the stack is firm.
Cut through your stack of colors to make thin slices. If the stack is soft when you start to slice it , put it back in the refrigerator until firm before continuing to slice. Arrange two slices side by side, with the colors showing, on a sheet of parchment paper. Top with a second sheet of parchment paper and roll them out until they form one slice that is slightly larger than 4-inches square. Repeat with the remaining slices, then chill the slices again until firm.
Cut out perfect 4-inch squares to resemble cheese slices. Stack the colored cheese squares between small squares of parchment paper so that they look just like presliced cheese.
Remove the pound cake from the pan. Brush simple syrup on the top crust of the cake so it doesn’t crack when sliced. (This is still cake, even though it looks like bread.) Using a serrated knife, trim off the ends, then cut eight 1/2-inch-thick slices from the cake.
Generously butter one side of each cake slice. Assemble the rainbow grilled cheese cake just as you would a savory grilled cheese: lay one slice of pound cake buttered side down, top with two slices of rainbow modeling chocolate cheese, then finish with another slice of pound cake (buttered side up) on top.
Get a frying pan nice and hot over medium heat and fry the sandwiches until golden brown on each side, flipping with a spatula.
Cut each sandwich in half and watch the cheese ooze out. Serve hot and melty!
Tip: Marble the colors by rolling the sliced orange and black dough together into a ball, then re-rolling out into slices.
