Dessert Pizza With Variations Grape And Pine Nut Apple And Gorgonzola Mascarpone And Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Recipes

APPLE PIZZA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat water, milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface; cover and let rest for 15 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and stir apples in butter over medium heat for 2 minutes. Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; stir into skillet. Cook 3 minutes longer. Reduce heat to low; cook, uncovered, for 4-6 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring frequently. , In a small bowl, combine the cheese topping ingredients. For streusel, in a small bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. , Pat dough onto a greased 14-in. pizza pan, building up edges slightly. Spread with cheese topping, then apple topping. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

FRUIT PIZZA EVEN BETTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 12-inch round pizza pan with butter-flavored cooking spray.
• Combine flour and confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into prepared pizza pan to make a crust.
• Bake in preheated oven until very lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
• Beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup white sugar, and almond extract until smooth; spread over completely cooled crust. Arrange strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi decoratively over cream cheese mixture.
• Mix pineapple juice, 1/2 cup white sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly and drizzle over fruit. Refrigerate until chilled.

FUDGE, NUT AND FLUFF APPLE DESSERT PIZZA

Steps:

• Dissolve salt, sugar, and yeast in the warm water and allow the yeast to proof. ("Proofing" the yeast is testing it for viability. It will develop a foam which looks like the head of a beer. If it doesn't proof, the yeast is dead and should be discarded.) Proofing takes about 15 minutes.
• Place flour in a food processor fitted with a dough blade, and through the feed tube with the food processor running, slowly pour the proofed yeast mixture, until the dough comes together and is a cohesive mass. Transfer the dough to a floured board, and knead for about 5 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and allow dough to rise, so that it roughly doubles in volume. (This will take about 30 minutes to an hour). The dough has risen enough if you make an indentation with your finger and it does not spring back.) Punch the dough down and allow it to rise again. (Allowing the dough to rise a second time gives it a finer texture.) Note: It will not rise as much the second time.
• While the dough is proofing, begin to prepare the topping. Melt the butter over medium heat in a pan with a lid. Add apples and stir gently to coat with the warm butter. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the apples. Stir in the lemon juice. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for about 40 minutes, or until the apples are cooked through and tender.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Stretch the dough out into a 14-inch circle which is thicker around the perimeter. Transfer dough to a pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. Top evenly with the cooked apple slices. Since the caramel topping and hazelnut, chocolate sauce are thick and awkward to spread, distribute spoonfuls of them evenly over the surface of the apple slices and the heat from the oven will make them melt onto the surface. Sprinkle with mini-marshmallows and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is nicely browned.

DESSERT PIZZA WITH VARIATIONS: GRAPE AND PINE NUT, APPLE AND GORGONZOLA, MASCARPONE AND CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• For the dough: Add the water to a bowl. Then add the yeast a little at a time and break up the cube of yeast with your hands. Let the yeast fully dissolve in the warm water and let stand for 2 minutes.
• Add the flour on a smooth work surface and create a well in the center of the flour. Slowly add the yeast-water mixture, olive oil, and salt until the flour has absorbed the liquid. Knead the dough until the mixture becomes an even dough consistency. If necessary, add a little more flour to absorb any excess liquid.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions to make individual-size pizzas. Place on a lightly-floured surface or pan and cover with a cloth. Let rest for about an hour at room temperature or until the dough has doubled in size. Yield: 4 servings
• For the grape and pine nut pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stretch out the dough and roll out on a lightly-floured surface. Place the grapes cut-side down on the dough. Add the pine nuts and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
• For the apple and Gorgonzola pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stretch out the dough and roll out on a lightly-floured surface. Top the dough with apples, Gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and drizzle with honey. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
• For the mascarpone and chocolate-hazelnut pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stretch out the dough and roll out on a lightly-floured surface. Spread the mascarpone cheese on 1/2 the pizza dough and on the 1/2 spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Fold over. Pinch and roll the opposite ends together. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.