Butter Pastry with Crunchy Sugar and Cheese

The original ensaïmadas are the pride of Mallorca, an island off the coast of Spain: pastries coiled like snail shells, rich with eggs and flaky from a smear of lard (called saïm in Mallorquí, a dialect of Catalan). The Spanish brought them to the Philippines, where local bakers slowly, slyly, upped the level of decadence, folding in more fat and eggs—one recipe I saw called for 60 yolks just to make two dozen ensaymadas!—and layering butter, sugar, and cheese on top. My mom remembers Lola