Apple Cinnamon Streusel Dessert Pizza

 To download a copy of the recipe for Apple Cinnamon Streusel Dessert Pizza, click HERE.

I’m ba-a-a-a-a-a-ck

Although I “retired” from posting weekly recipes back in August, it remained my hope to continue to post recipes on an occasional basis. It took seven months, but this weekend I once again got to cook with a camera in one hand and a pen in the other.

 

A long time staple of pizza chain restaurants, dessert pizza is not a new concept. Made at home, by you, with the kind of attention to detail and ingredients a mass-production chain restaurant could never provide, however, it can be brought to a higher, and frankly pretty delicious, level. (Even the recipes you’ll find on-line often use canned apple pie filling for the topping. I don’t get that. Isn’t having a dessert that’s fresher and better than the one you buy from a chain restaurant the reason you’re making it yourself in the first place? But I digress…)

Of course, if your household is anything like mine, a dessert pizza will probably be used as a breakfast pizza. Dessert pizza just sounds more grown-up; in private, we know better.

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• This recipe makes a 16 inch pizza. For smaller or larger pizzas, adjust the amounts of each ingredient proportionately. 
• For a less sweet dessert, reduce the amount of sugar in the apple-cinnamon topping.

This recipe makes one 16” pizza (approximately 12 portions).

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the pizza dough base: 1 pizza dough (purchased or home made); 1 Tbsp melted butter substitute

For the Apple-Cinnamon Topping: 4 Granny Smith apples; ¼ cup sugar; ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed; 2 Tbsp AP flour; ¼ tsp salt; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 1/8 tsp lemon zest; 2 tsp lemon juice

For the Streusel: 1-1/4 cup all purpose flour; 1/2 cup white sugar; 6 Tbsp brown sugar; 2-1/2 Tbsp firm textured butter substitute, very cold; 3 Tbsp flavor-neutral oil

For the Icing: 1-1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar; 3-1/2 Tbsp skim milk; 3/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly coat a pizza pan with butter substitute.

Pat the dough into a pizza pan.

Coat the pizza dough with 1 Tbsp melted butter substitute.

Peel and cube the apples.

Combine the apple-cinnamon topping ingredients.

Spread the apple-cinnamon topping mixture all around buttered crust.

Combine streusel ingredients with a fork. (Avoid using your hands, since your body heat will soften the butter substitute.)

Top the pizza with the streusel mix. (You’ll probably have some streusel mix left over.)

Bake for about 13 minutes until crust is lightly browned. When done, let it cool to warm or room temperature.

While the pizza is cooling, combine icing ingredients. (The amount of milk shown is approximate. Start with a little less, and add a little more at a time until the mixture has a drizzle consistency.)

Drizzle the icing on the pizza.

Cut into slices to serve.

To download a copy of the recipe for Apple Cinnamon Streusel Dessert Pizza, click HERE.

Whether you enjoy this easy-to-make sweet treat for dessert, Sunday morning breakfast, or as a naughty midnight snack doesn’t matter. Just enjoy it!

You never know when the next great-tasting, home-cook friendly recipe will be posted, so please look in once in a while! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Pitzels (Stuffed Pizza Dough Pretzels)

To download a copy of the recipe for Stuffed Pizza Dough Pretzels, click HERE.

A warm welcome to new subscriber Jennifer. It’s great to have you!

I’m not sure who first had the idea of combining the goodness of a fresh, homemade soft pretzel with the heavenly joy of pizza, but whoever it was did it a long time ago. Since that time, many more versions have been made by countless cooks. This week’s recipe is my contribution to the lexicon of pizza-stuffed pretzels or, as I like to call them, “pitzels.”

As with many homemade foods, especially ones involving yeast dough, some who are new to the process may feel a little intimidated at first. To them I say, fear not! It’s easier than you might think. Besides, if you don’t want to make your own pizza dough it’s pretty easy to buy one.

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• This recipe starts with the pizza dough already made. You can purchase one at your local supermarket, or at many pizzerias, use your own favorite recipe, or use the savory crust recipe I posted here a while back. (Send me an e-mail or comment if you’d like a copy.)

• You can also make your own sauce, but the amount you’ll need for this recipe is so small I recommend just getting a small jar of a good store-bought sauce. (Just make sure you keep some reserved for dipping.)

• The fillings listed in the recipe are based on basic pizza toppings: sauce, cheese, basil and oregano. If there’s anything else you like on your pizza, feel free to chop it up small and add it.

• The baking time will vary somewhat with a lot of factors, especially your dough recipe. For that reason, you’ll need to keep an eye on the pretzels while they’re baking to make sure they don’t overcook. Legend has it that hard pretzels originated when a baker’s assistant fell asleep and over-baked a batch of soft pretzels; instead of throwing the batch out, the baker packaged and sold them as hard pretzels as if that is what they had set out to make in the first place. (The “I meant to do that” approach to dealing with cooking mistakes is more common than you might have thought. Not that that ever happens here…)

• The somewhat unique method of stuffing the dough described below is adapted from Guy Fieri.

This recipe makes eight medium size soft stuffed pretzels.

Spread a pizza dough out on a floured working surface.

Roll the dough out to about 16” x 10”, or as close to it as you can. Spread some sauce, ¼ cup shredded mozzarella or other pizza cheese; and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil along the middle 1/3 of the dough.

Fold 1/3 of the dough over the sauced portion.

Spread some sauce, the remaining cheese, and the remaining basil along the top of the folded dough.

Fold the remaining 1/3 of the dough over.

Cut the folded dough into 8 equal strips.

Press the edges of each strip together to seal the filling inside the dough. Roll each into a 14-inch long rope,

Twist each rope into a pretzel shape.

Begin heating 6 cups of water to a boil, and begin pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees. When the water is boiling, add 2 Tbsp of baking soda. Place the unbaked pretzels in the boiling water, in batches, for 30 seconds, turning half-way. Place them back on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking sheet. 

Brush the tops with egg wash.

Sprinkle with dried oregano.

Bake until golden brown. (The baking time for this will depend on a lot of things so keep an eye on them, but it should be around 15-20 minutes.) Let the pretzels rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then let cool on a rack.

Use the remaining sauce for dipping. (This is optional, but strongly recommended.)

To download a copy of the recipe for Stuffed Pizza Dough Pretzels, click HERE.

When you make these delicious treats, just be sure to set some aside for yourself. They tend to get eaten up fast!

I hope you enjoyed this special homemade food delight, and that you’ll take a look at this site again next week for another recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)
  

Zuppa alla Pizzaiola (Pizza Soup)

For a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Zuppa alla Pizzaiola, click HERE!

I’m not sure what made me think of using pizza as an inspiration for a delicious soup, but whatever it is, I’m glad for it. And if you try Zuppa alla Pizzaiola (Pizza Soup), I think you will be too.

Should anyone think we’re just tossing a pizza into a blender at high speed, have no fear. Zuppa alla Pizzaiola is a full-bodied tomato soup, seasoned in the style of pizza sauce, and filled with finely chopped sausage, mushrooms and green pepper, or whatever other “toppings” you like. It’s topped with pizza crust croutons and melted pizza cheese (think French Onion Soup), with more of the sausage, mushrooms and green pepper on top. It’s one hearty meal.

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin.

• The recipe gives step by step instructions for making the pizza crust croutons from scratch. If you prefer to use a store bought dough, that’s ok too.

• Speaking of pizza dough, this recipe makes about one-and-a-half crusts. You’ll only need the half for the croutons; store the remainder for later use in making a fresh pizza. Why are we making more than we need? Simple: this amount uses one packet of yeast; making less would mean dividing the packet into a part you’ll use and a part that will end up getting thrown away because it’s not enough to make anything. I’d rather see it get used for something.

• The “toppings” in this recipe (which are used both to fill the soup and to top the cheese) are sausage, mushrooms and green pepper. There’s no real reason for those particular toppings, except they're what I like on a pizza. Feel free to substitute whatever toppings you like. (Ok, almost whatever toppings you like: even if you’re from California, I’m begging you not to do that pineapple thing.)

 This recipe makes four meal-size servings.

First, let’s make the pizza crust for the croutons. (If you’re using a purchased dough, just skip this step.)

In a small bowl, whisk one packet of yeast (1/4 ounce) into 2 cups of 110-degree water. Add ½ teaspoon of sugar, then whisk in ¼ cup of olive oil.

Combine 1-1/2 pounds of bread flour and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the yeast mixture and mix just until sticky dough forms. (It's important to mix the dry ingredients before adding the yeast mixture; direct contact with the salt will kill the yeast.)

In a mixer (using the dough hook) or by hand on a floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes. If necessary, add a little more flour to make dough smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, covered with oiled foil or plastic. Allow to rise on the kitchen counter until at least doubled, about an hour. (When doubled, the dough should hold the indentation when poked with a finger.)

Begin preheating the oven to 500 degrees.

When the dough has risen, cut it into a 1/3 portion and a 2/3 portion. Wrap the 2/3 portion to freeze or refrigerate for later use in making a pizza. Place the 1/3 portion on a baking sheet that has been dusted with corn meal.

Stretch the dough out until it is about ¼” thick.

Bake for 11 minutes, turning the pan around in the oven half-way for more even baking.

Now let’s make the pizza crust into croutons. (If you’re using a purchased dough, this is the step you’ll start with.)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Brush the crust lightly with olive oil on both sides and cut into crouton cubes, ¼” to ½“on a side. Place the cubes on a baking sheet.

Bake for about an hour until the croutons are crisp. Set them aside till ready to use.

Next comes the soup:

Chop 1 large carrot, 2 stalks of celery, 1 medium onion, and 4 cloves of garlic.

Heat ¼ cup of butter substitute and ¼ cup of olive oil in a soup pot on medium-low heat until the butter substitute is melted.

Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic, along with 1 bay leaf. Cover and cook for about five minutes. (Don’t let onions color.)

Add two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, three cups of tomato puree, 2 teaspoons of dried basil, 1-1/2 tablespoons of sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of chili powder. Mix until combined, and simmer covered for 30 – 40 minutes. Stir occasionally, until tomatoes and onions are soft and broken down. (While the soup is simmering, prepare the toppings as described below.)

To make the toppings:

Finely chop 1 green bell pepper, 12 ounces of turkey sausage (with the casings removed), and 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. Place in a sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté until cooked.

To finish the soup:

Begin preheating the oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the bay leaf, and puree the mixture with an immersion blender.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the toppings into the soup, reserving 6 Tbsp of the toppings.

Place the soup in a bowl, and top with croutons.

Cover the croutons with cheese.

Sprinkle 1-1/2 tablespoons of the toppings on top of the cheese.

When all the soup bowls have been prepared, bake for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

For a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Zuppa alla Pizzaiola, click HERE!

Serve this with a salad on the side, and you’ve got a meal your family will love. (A bag Caesar salad, as seen in the photo at the top, works fine. You’ve just made fresh soup; give yourself a break on the salad.)

I hope you enjoy making, and eating, Zuppa alla Pizzaiola. And that you’ll stop by again next week for another great-tasting home-cook tested recipe! Till then, stay well, keep  it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Easy, Fresh Italian Bread

A warm welcome to new subscriber Margot!

As part of last week’s recipe for a delicious spaghetti and homemade meatballs dinner with an easy-to-prepare no-cook tomato sauce, I promised to come back with directions for the fresh-baked Italian bread I served on the side. Today I keep that promise.

What’s that you say? Baking bread is difficult? Not at all! Although we’ll be making ours by hand, remember that some people make bread by putting the ingredients in a bread machine, walking away, and coming back later when the bread is finished, with the machine having done all the work; how much thinking could be involved? This is especially true of Italian bread, which is usually kept simple because one of its main purposes is mopping that delicious sauce from the entrée plate, and you wouldn’t want embellish it with herbs or other savory flavors that might conflict with your sauce. (That said, it’s also mighty good gently dipped in a small dish of either plain or herbed extra virgin olive oil. I like a dash of vinegar too, but that’s just me.)

If you’re concerned that bread takes hours to make, I have more good news. While it’s true that several hours will pass between the time you start to the time you have fresh, warm bread to serve, for almost all of it the dough is doing the work while you’re off living your life. In the culinary world, this is known as “inactive time.”

Among the few simple ingredients this recipe uses is bread flour. That’s not the same thing as all-purpose flour, but it’s easy to find right next to it in the baking aisle at any supermarket. For a quick description of what the difference is, here’s a link to a recipe for Savory Crust Pizza posted here previously.

This introduction to bread-making would be incomplete without this bit of wisdom I read in a wonderful book call, “How I Learned to Cook” by Kimberly Witherspoon and Peter Meehan. It's a compilation of early experiences related by a collection of well-known chefs. One of the chapters was from Nancy Silverton, co-founder (and bread expert) of a number of high-level restaurants in California. What she said, which I simply loved, included this:

"I realized I couldn't think about bread the way I thought about pastry or pasta or any other typical culinary undertaking. Bread is alive. Minor inconsistencies are a fact of life, not a mark of failure. The tiny variation in the loaves from day to day made them unique, not imperfect. And the relationship of a baker to her bread is like any other kind of serious relationship you have with anybody in life. It's never perfect. It takes so much work. And every time you think that you've mastered it, the next day you're brought back to reality and it needs some more work."

Let’s bake some fresh bread! This recipe makes four 4 loaves.

Dissolve 1 package (1/4 oz.) dry yeast and ½ teaspoon of sugar in 2 cups of 110 degree F water and let it rest for about five minutes. (The mixture should foam while resting.)

Sift 1-1/2 pounds of bread flour, setting another ¼ pound aside for adding later if needed for texture. (It’s easier to add flour to a dough that’s too moist than it is to add liquid to a dough that’s too dry.)

Add 1 tablespoon of salt and mix well, since direct contact with the salt will kill the yeast in the next step.)

Add water-yeast mixture and mix to form dough.

Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, and just a bit sticky. (You can do this by hand, but it’s easier with a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.)

Place dough in a well oiled bowl and let stand until about double in size. (Usually 1-2 hours.) The stove top or the top of the refrigerator are good places for this.

After the dough has doubled in size, pressing down with hands to deflate it, then turn it out onto your counter and divide it into four portions.

Press each portion into an oval.

Fold the long sides toward the center. Press out again and repeat.

Using palms, roll each into a cylinder 12 inches long. (Start with palms in the middle and work toward the ends to make the cylinders longer. Don’t pull the dough, which will toughen the gluten in the flour.)

Place each cylinder on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Cover loosely with oiled wrap and “bench-proof” until doubled, about 45 minutes – 1 hour. While the loaves are proofing, pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees.

When the loaves have finished proofing, make three lengthwise cuts on top of each loaf. Place each loaf in oven and bake until browned, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature of the oven to 400, and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes until well-colored. Let the loaves cool a bit on racks.

Happy bread-making!

See you next week with another delicious, kitchen-tested recipe made from easy-to-find ingredients. Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)