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And we are officially into graduation party season! We’ll kick it off with our exchange kid this weekend and then we have a bunch of his friends’ celebrations to go to throughout the summer!

Here’s a sampling of a few of the things we’ll have at our gathering this weekend!

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NO BAKE ORANGE VANILLA 

CHEESECAKE BARS

16 graham crackers

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 stick salted butter, melted

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream 

2 tsp. grated orange zest

1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1 drop each red and yellow food coloring

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Put the graham crackers and granulated sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. With the motor running, slowly pour in the melted butter and process until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand. Transfer to the baking dish. Using a measuring cup, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. 

Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the powdered sugar and beat until very smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a large bowl. 

Add the heavy cream to the empty mixer bowl. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add one-third of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold with a rubber spatula until completely combined. Add the remaining whipped cream and continue to gently fold until completely combined. 

Transfer half of the cheesecake mixture to a separate bowl. Add the orange zest, juice and extract and the food coloring to one bowl. Stir gently until just combined. Add the vanilla extract to the other bowl and stir gently to combine. 

Remove the crust from the freezer and add the vanilla cheesecake batter. Top with the orange cheesecake batter and gently smooth into an even layer. Swirl with a toothpick or skewer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or up to overnight. Loosen the cheesecake from the pan and cut into squares.

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 PEPPERONI PIZZA ROLLS

1 ball refrigerated pizza dough (about 14-oz.), at room temperature

All-purpose flour, for sprinkling

1/2 cup marinara sauce, plus more for dipping

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

10 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 oz. sliced pepperoni, divided

4 sticks mozzarella string cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough until it's a very flat, large rectangle, about 11 by 18 inches. Spread the dough with the marinara sauce, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Sprinkle on the parmesan, oregano, and salt. Evenly top with the mozzarella slices and half of the pepperoni.

Unwrap the string cheese and arrange each stick in a line on one long edge of the dough. Starting from that long edge, roll up the dough as tightly as possible so the string cheese winds up in the middle of the roll. Pinch the seam of the dough to seal, then flip seam-side down. Using a serrated knife, slice the roll into 1-inch pieces and place each piece cut-side up in a greased 12-inch round baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Tuck the remaining pepperoni into the folds of the pizza rolls, leaving just a little sticking out. Allow the rolls to rise at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Bake the rolls until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with extra marinara sauce for dipping.

TFD: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

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