Polenta Layer Cake With Butter Gorgonzola Filling Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 17x12-inch half-sheet pan with cooking spray.
• In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, cook oil, butter and garlic over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic is transparent (do not let garlic burn). Add whipping cream; heat to a slight simmer. Stir in Gorgonzola cheese until melted. Stir in pecorino-Romano cheese. Remove from heat.
• Cut polenta into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in pan. Ladle cheese sauce evenly over polenta; sprinkle with pepper. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over top.
• Bake uncovered about 15 minutes.
• Set oven control to broil. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until top is golden brown. Garnish with basil. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 1 3/4 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can switch to a wooden spoon for easier stirring.
• Turn off the heat. Add the butter, cream and Gorgonzola and stir until the cheese melts. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.
• Note: If you're making the polenta ahead of time, put it on a double boiler and cover it with plastic wrap to keep it warm.

Steps:

• When the polenta is fresh and hot, slosh the mold with cold water so it's damp. Pour in the polenta and level it to form a smooth disk at least 1 1/2 inches thick. Chill until solidified, then invert the mold to get out the disk (wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days if you want).
• Heat the oven to 400° when you are ready to make the cake.
• Slice the disk into three equal round layers (as you would split a cake layer). Place one round on a well-buttered or parchmentlined baking sheet. Dot the surface, lightly or heavily, with bits of butter, using a third of the total, then with half the gorgonzola and a third of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Place a second polenta layer on the fillings and load it up the same way, using up the gorgonzola. Top with the third polenta round and decorate it with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Put the sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes-or 45 if the polenta is just out of the fridge-until the top of the cake is sizzling and deep golden and the filling oozes from between the layers. Lift with a wide spatula onto a cake plate. Serve very hot. You might want to bake some halved, cored pears alongside the polenta cake to serve with it.

Steps:

• Bring milk and whipping cream to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk polenta into milk mixture in slow steady stream. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook polenta until creamy and tender, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat broiler. Transfer cooked polenta to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Sprinkle Gorgonzola cheese over polenta. Broil until cheese melts. Sprinkle with chopped toasted walnuts and serve immediately.
• *Polenta (coarse yellow cornmeal) is available at Italian markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute 1 cup regular yellow cornmeal, and cook mixture for about 12 minutes rather than 20 minutes.