Antoni Porowski's The Perfect Bite — Medjool Dates With Blue Cheese, Marcona Almonds, and Prosciutto

Ingredients:

• 24 Medjool dates, preferably pitted
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
• 3 ounces blue cheese
• 24 roasted salted almonds, preferably Marcona

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• If the dates are not already pitted, make an incision down the side of each one and remove the pits.
• Cut or tear the slices of prosciutto lengthwise into strips about 1 1/4 inches wide. If you don't wind up with a total of 24 strips, cut a few in half to make up the difference.
• Listening to Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue," stuff each date with a nub (about 1/2 teaspoon) of blue cheese and an almond.
• Gently press to close up the opening, then wrap the dates in the prosciutto strips. Place the dates on the baking sheet, cut side up so that the cheese doesn't all ooze out.
• Bake the dates until warm and slightly bubbling, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. These are magical warm but totally acceptable at room temp.

Tip: With its creamy semisoft texture and funky but not-too-intense flavor, Saint Agur, which melts like a champ, is my preferred blue for this dish. That said, there really is no wrong blue cheese option here. Cambozola, a Brie-style blue, offers a luxe creaminess and milder flavor, while sharp Stilton gives the sweetness of the dates a more robust flavor to bump up against. A crumbly Danish variety wouldn't be the end of the world, especially if you prefer milder blues, and, since it's a drier cheese, it makes assembly a bit less messy.

Antoni Porowski's Kansas City Coconut Sheet Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:

• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, well shaken before measuring
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 2 cups packaged unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
For the cake:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking pan with coconut oil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla.
• With an electric mixer, beat the coconut oil, sugar, and butter in a large bowl on medium speed, scraping down the sides occasionally, until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the coconut milk mixture and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes (the mixture may appear curdled). Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just to combine. Fold in the coconut with a rubber spatula, making sure to fully incorporate it.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with the spatula. Bake until the cake is lightly golden on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. (Leave the oven on.)

For the frosting:

• Spread the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
• With an electric mixer, beat together the ricotta and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl on medium-high until the sugar is dissolved and the cheese is creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in 1 cup of the toasted coconut. Cover the frosting and chill until it sets a bit, at least 30 minutes, and up to 4 hours. Set the remaining coconut aside.
• Spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the reserved toasted coconut. Cut the cake into pieces and serve. The cake can be kept, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Tip: Be sure to use unrefined coconut oil here. If the oil is refined, it loses its nutty taste.

Antoni Porowski's Salty Lemon Squares

Ingredients:
Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Filling:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Finely grated zest of 1 large or 2 medium lemons (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large or 2 medium lemons)
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting
• Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with two sheets of foil, shiny side up, crisscrossing them to leave an overhang on all sides. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.

For the crust:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cooled melted butter and stir to combine. Turn the mixture out into the baking pan and press evenly over the bottom. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 18 to 22 minutes.

For the filling:

• With an electric mixer, beat the eggs in a medium bowl until combined. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat on medium-high until the mixture is frothy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour the filling into the hot crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is just set, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, at least 1 1/2 hours. For the best flavor and easiest cutting, chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day. (The bars can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw, unwrapped, for 1 hour at room temperature before serving.)
• To serve, cut the bars into 2-inch squares, then dust with confectioners' sugar and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Tip: After grating the lemons, warm them in the microwave for 5- to 10-second intervals until just a bit warm, 15 to 30 seconds, which will help release the most juice. The flavor of these bars deepens overnight, so make them a day ahead if you can.