Lemon Meringue Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 Tbsp. butter or margerine
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 9-inch pastry shell, cooked
Meringue (see below)
In saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Gradually add hot water,
stirring constantly.
Cook and stir over high heat til mixture comes to boiling. Reduce heat;
cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove form heat.
Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks, then return to hot
mixture. Bring back to boiling and cook 2 minutes, stirring
constantly. Add butter and lemon peel. Slowly add lemonb juice, mixing
well. Pour into pastry shell. Spread meringue over filling and seal
the edges. Bake at 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool before cutting.
(Before cutting, dip knife in water.)
Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 Tbsp. sugar
Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar til soft peaks form.
Gradually add sugar, beating til stiff and glossy peaks have formed
and all sugar is dissolved.

Key Lime Pie - COLLECTION

This recipe for Key Lime Pie is from "The Elegant But Easy Cookbook" by
Marian Fox Burros and Lois Levine, 1967.
Crust
Combine:
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons lime rind
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
Press into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate.
Bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 8 minutes. Cool
Filling:
Thoroughly mix in saucepan:
1 envelope gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat together:
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup water
Stir into gelatin mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring, just
until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
Stir in:
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
green food coloring--only enough to give PALE green color (2-3 drops)
Chill, stirring occasionally until mixture mounds slightly when dropped
from spoon.
Beat until soft peaks form:
4 egg whites
Gradually add:
1/2 cup sugar
beating until stiff. Fold in gelatin mixture.
Fold in:
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Pile into shell. Chill until firm. Before serving top with additional
whipped cream, trim with grated lime peel.

Key Lime Pie : COLLECTION

I've read that the "key" to Key Lime Pie is the lime juice. I think
it said regular limes are too sweet. I ordered Key Lime Juice direct
from Key West -- I think the place is called Nellie & Joe's (or Joe &
Nellie's). This first one I've made before -- it's really more
like a "lime" lemon meringue pie -- but very good.
1 1/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs 1/4 cup Key Lime Juice
1/4 cup unsalted Butter, melted 1 tsp grated Lime Zest
1 1/4 cups +6 tbsp Sugar 3 large Eggs, separated
1/4 cup Cornstarch 1 1/2 cups Boiling Water
In bowl, combine crumbs and butter. Mix well; press over bottom and
sides of 9" pie plate. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes; cool. In saucepan,
combine 1 1/4 cups sugar, cornstarch, lime juice and zest; mix well.
Whisk in egg yolks. Gradually stir in the boiling water until blended.
Over medium-high heat, bring to boiling, whisking. Cook, whisking,
4 minutes, until thick. Pour into bowl; stand bowl in larger bowl
of ice and water to cool mixture. Pour filling into crust.
Raise oven temperature to 425. With electric mixer, at high speed,
beat egg whites, adding remaining sugar 1 tbsp at a time, until
stiff. Spread over filling to cover completely. Bake 4 minutes or
until golden. Chill at least 8 hours.
This next recipe I've never tried. It's from a popular restaurant
around here called Key Largo! It's probably more like what you had
in Florida.
Key Largo's Key Lime Pie
1 Graham Cracker Crust 2 oz. Key Lime Juice
2 Eggs, separated 1/3 oz. Natural Gelatin
16 oz. Condensed Milk 1/3 oz. Very Hot Water
Add yolks to mixer bowl. Using the whites, brush them lightly over
the graham cracker crust shell. Bake crust at 350 for 2 minutes or
until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Whip yolks until they are light and lemon in color. In a separate
bowl, dissolve gelatin in the hot water. When dissolved, very slowly
add to mixing bowl. Then slowly add condensed milk. Stir well,
blending in lime jiuce. Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate
for 4-6 hours. Serve chilled garnished with whipped cream and thin
fresh lime slices.

Kentucky Style Pie

Kentucky Style Pie

1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup pecan halves/pieces
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into *unbaked* 9"
pie crust. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Eggnog Chiffon Pie

Eggnog Chiffon Pie


Baked Pastry Shell
1/4 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups dairy eggnog
2 slightly beaten egg yolks
1/4 cup rum
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
Caramel Filigree
For filling, in a medium saucepan combine the sugar and gelatin. Add
eggnog and egg yolks. Cook and stir till sugar and gelatin dissolve
and mixture thickens slightly and bubbles. Cool 10 minutes; stir in
rum. Chill till consistency of corn syrup; stir occasionally. Remove
from refrigerator; let stand till partially set (consistency of unbeaten
egg whites.
Meanwhile, in a large mixer bowl beat egg whites till soft peaks form
(tips curl). Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating
till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg whites into
gelatin mixture.
Beat whipping cream till soft peaks form. Fold cream into eggnog
mixture. Chill till the mixture mounds when spooned; pile into baked
pastry shell. Chill several hours or until set.
About 1 hour before serving, prepare Caramel Filigree and drizzle atop
pie. Pipe additional whipped cream around pie, if desired.
Caramel Filigree: In a heavy 1-quart saucepan heat 1/2 cup sugar over
medium-low heat without stirring. When sugar begins to melt, heat and
stir constantly till mixture is almost a medium caramel color (syrup
will darken after removed from heat). Stir in a few drops of hot water.
Let stand for 1 minute. Using a spoon quickly drizzle the caramelized
sugar over the top of the pie till a web of caramel is built up.

Dirt Pie

Dirt Pie


1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (4 oz. serving) Chocolate flavor Instant Pudding
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
20 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
1-1/2 cups "rocks"*
1 graham cracker pie crust
* Rocks = Granola chunks, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips,
chopped peanuts, or any combination thereof
Pour milk into medium bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk until
well blended. Let stand 5 mins. Fold in whipped topping. Stir 1 cup of
the cookies and "rocks" into pudding mix. Spoon into pie crust.

Cranberry Crumb Tart

Cranberry Crumb Tart


From The Best of Food & Wine
Cranberry Crumb Tart
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups fresh cranberries (about two 12-ounce bags)
Prebaked Tart Shell
Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine the flour and 1 3/4
cups of the sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse
meal. Continue cutting until the mixture forms nickel sized clumps that
crumble easily.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the salt. Add
the cranberries and toss to coat well.
Spon the cranberries into the Prebaked Tart Shell, mounding them slightly
in the center. Using your fingers, lightly squeeze pieces of the crumb
topping and drop them gently over the berries (do not press the topping
into the fruit).
Bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around
the edge, about 40 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Prebaked Tart Shell
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 stick (4 ounces) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ice water
Put the flour in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture
resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt
in the water. Sprinkle over the flour mixture, tossing until the
dough begins to mass together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into a 6 inch disk. Refrigerate for
at least 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large round,
1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Trim to a 15 inch circle. Dust the dough lightly
with the flour and fold into quarters. Place it, with the point in the
center, in a 9 1/2 or 10 inch tart pan, about 1 inch high, with a removable
bottom. Open up the pastry and fit into the pan, folding down the excess
to reinforce the sides. Press the pastry against the fluted sides of the
pan; trim off any excess dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line the pastry with foil and fill with pie
weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry
is almost dry. Remove the foil and weights, prick the bottom and sides
all over with a fork, and continue baking for 5 to 8 minutes, or until
the crust is golden brown.

Caramelized Upside-Down Plum Tart

4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 pound dark Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
Pate Brisee
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1 teaspoon kirsch
In a 9 inch skillet with an ovenproof handle, melt the butter over moderate
heat. Stir in the 1/2 cup of the sugar. Arrange the plums, cut-side up,
in concentric circles and cook until the sugar begins to caramelize, 15 to
20 minutes. Let stand until completely cool.
On a generously floured surface, roll the Pate Brisee into a 12 inch circle.
Drape the dough over a rolling pin and flip it over the caramelized plums.
Trim off the excess dough. Roll the edges down so that the crust lies flat
on top of the fruit but reaches the edges of the pan. Refrigerate, covered,
for 30 minutes.
Prheat the oven to 425F. In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream with 1
tablespoon of the sugar. Brush this glaze over the dough. Using a fork,
prick the dough in several places and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until
golden brown.
In a small bowl, combine the creme fraiche, kirsch and remaining 3
tablespoons sugar.
Immediatly invert the tart onto a large platter. Serve warm or cold with
the flavoured creme fraiche.
Pate Brisee
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick (4 ounces) cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Process
until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 8 seconds. Add the water
and process, turning the machine on and off, until the mixture resembles
small peas, about 5 seconds.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly, just
until the dough holds together. Flatten the pastry into a 6 inch disk.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Caramelized Pear Tart

Caramelized Pear Tart


Pastry:
14 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon, grated
3/4 cup finely ground almonds
1 3/4 cups flour
Filling:
2 1/2 lbs. ripe, firm pears, peeled, cored, and cubed
(or large can of pears drained/cubed, though not as good)
8 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup toasted almonds
Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg yolks and zest, mix well.
Add almonds and flour, mix well. Form into ball, wrap with plastic, and
chill 1 hr.
Grease 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom. On lightly floured
surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer to pan and press
to bottom and sides. Line dough with foil and fill with pie weights or
dried beans. Bake at 400 degrees(F) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and
weights, bake 3 minutes until golden.
While crust is baking, melt butter in large, heavy skillet. Over medium
heat, saute pears until tender.* Sprinkle with the sugar and cook until
fruit is caramelized(golden brown.) Place filling in baked crust and
sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve warm or chilled.
* If using canned pears, don't cook the pears first--add sugar with pears.
A confirmed chocolate lover says this is as good as chocolate. I agree.

Boston Cream Pie

2 eggs (separated)
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup salad oil
1 cup milk (divided)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating
until very stiff peaks form. Sift together remaining dry ingredients into
another bowl. Add oil, 1/2 cup of milk, and vanilla. Beat 1 minute at
medium. Add remaining milk and egg yolks. Beat 1 minute and scrape bowl.
Gently fold egg white mixture in. Bake in greased and lightly floured
9-inch cake pans in moderate oven (350F) for about 20 minutes or till
done. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans. Cool completely.
Fill with cream filling and frost with chocolate glaze.
Cream Filling -
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
In saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually add milk and
mix well. Cook over medium heat til misture thickens and boils, stirring
constantly. Cook and stir 2 more minutes. Very gradually add the hot
mixture into the egg and then return to saucepan. Cook and stir until
mixture just boils again. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover with waxed
paper and cool.
Chocolate Glaze -
1 1/2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. boiling water
2-3 tsp. water
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove
from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until crumbly. Blend
in 3 Tbsp. boiling water. Add additional water 1 tsp. at a time to
form medium glaze of pouring consistancy. Pour quickly over top of
cake and spread evenly over top and sides.

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie


3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour or
3 Tbs cornstarch (I use the cornstarch)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 9-inch baked pastry shell
(meringue made from the leftover egg whites, optional)
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Add milk gradually.
Cook, stiring constantly, over medium heat til bubbly. Cook and stir an
additional 2 minutes and remove from burner.
Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks, immediately add egg yolk
mixture to hot mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stiring constantly. Remove
from heat.
Add butter and vanilla and stir til smooth.
Slice 3-4 bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding
mixture and spread meringue (if desired) on top of the pie. Bake at
350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool.
(Instead of meringue, I sometimes top with fresh whipped cream.)

Apple Pie

Apple Pie


This recipe is a mixture of that from both sets of parents, and was
partly based on the Betty Crocker cookbook. It has a top crumb crust,
rather than a full crust.
pastry for 9 inch one-crust pie
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of salt
8 cups thinly sliced pared tart apples (about 8 medium or 6 large)
ingreg. for crumb crust:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. butter or margarine
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
maybe a pinch of cloves and mace
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon & salt in large bowl.
Stir in apples. Put apple-mixture into pastry-lined pie plate. (You may want
to press apples down firmly -- they shrink a LOT!!! You need a real mound of
apples to end up with a decent pie).
Mix sugar and flour for crumb crust in medium bowl.
Cut in margarine; add spices. Put crumbs on top of pie -- you'll probably
need to press them onto apples to keep them from falling off.
Bake for 10 minutes; then lower to 350 and bake for 40 more. Check for
doneness with fork.

Apple-Pear Tart

Apple-Pear Tart


Basic Rich Pastry
Dry beans
5 very ripe medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped (5 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon quick-cooking farina
1/4 cup Kirsch or cherry liqueur
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 medium cooking apples, cored and sliced
2 medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon cognac or brandy
For tart shell, prepare Basic Rich Pastry: On a lightly floured surface
roll pastry dough to a circle 12 inches in diameter.
Fit dough into a 10 or 11 inch flan pan with a removable bottom; press
bottom and sides gently to remove air bubbles. Turn the overlapping dough
edges to inside; press against sides of pan. Prick sides with fork.
Line the bottom and sides of pan with heavy-duty foil and dry beans.
Bake in a 400 oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake 10 to
15 minutes more or till golden; set aside.
For filling, in a saucepan combine 5 cups apples, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup
wine, butter, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes
or till apples are tender. Slowly sprinkle farina over apples; stir
constantly. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes or till
mixture is thickened; stir frequently. Remove from heat; stir in Kirsch
and vanilla. Cool slightly. Spread in bottom of baked tart shell.
In a small saucepan combine the 1/4 cup wine, apricot preserves, 1
teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspon cinnamon. Bring to boiling; add sliced
apples and pears. Cook about 7 minutes or till apples are translucent.
Drain, reserving liquid.

Arrange apple slices in a circle and pear slices in rows. Cook reserved
liquid till reduced to 2 tablespoons; stir in cognac. Spoon over fruit.
Serves 10.
Basic Rich Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter
1 tablespoon shortening
1 egg yolk
2 tablspoons cold water
Combine flour and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a fork or pastry
cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center.
Beat together egg yolk and water. Add to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir
just till dough forms a ball.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times. Wrap in clear
plastic wrap and chill 20 minutes in frezzer or 2 1/2 hours in refrigerator
before rolling. Makes one 10 inch shell.

Almond-Plum Tart

Almond-Plum Tart


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
8 to 10 plums
1 cup finely ground almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup currant jelly, melted
For pastry, stir together the flour, the 2 teaspoons sugar, and salt. Cut
in shortening till pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon
of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to
side of bowl; repeat till all is moistened. Form dough into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a 12 inch circle. Transfer to
a 9 inch quiche dish. Trim edges of dough even with rim of pan.
Halve and pit plums. In a mixer bowl, combine almonds, the 1/2 cup sugar,
egg, lemon peel, connamon, and almond extract. Beat with electric mixer on
low speed till combined. Spread almond mixture evenly in pastry shell.
Place plums, cut side down, atop almond mixture. Dot with butter.
Bake in a 375F oven 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice from plums
is nearly evaporated. Cool on wire rack. Brush top with melted jelly.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Pizza Dough

The following produces a rather crispy dough (see notes at bottom!):
1 envelope dry yeast (I like Fleishmann's Rapid Rise(tm))
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup lukewarm water (75-80 degrees F. Too hot and you'll
kil the yeast, too cold and the yeast won't activate.
If anything, err towards the cooler side - the slower
it rises, the better...)
Stir yeast and sugar into water, let sit for 8 minutes or so.
It should become slightly foamy with a familiart "yeast" odor.
No foam after 6 or so minutes and the yeast was bad or your
water wrong temperature. I haven't had a yeast problem yet.
In a bowl (or food processor) mix
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add the yeast mixture. If using food processor, continue running
until dough forms a ball, 10-20 seconds. By hand, just jump
in and mix away. If you've never done dough before, it gets
a little sticky.
If the dough is a little dry (ie: flour left on sides of bowl
and you absolutely can't get it mixed) add 1/2 teaspoon water
and try until you get it. If measured right, you shouldn't need any
additional water.
On a floured surface pick up dough and throw it down HARD 8-10 times
(really, you can't hurt it, think of your boss...) Continue
kneading for 2 minutes or so. if dough is a little sticky, dust
your finger and counter with flour, but as little as possible).
That it. Either rolls out by hand for an 11" pizza (14" thin
or 7" thick).
Bake at 500F in pre-heated oven for 8-12 minutes, the edges will
turn nice golden brown when done. Dough will be firm and cripy,
not soggy and soft like many other doughs.

Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough


Here's what I've come up with after about a year of experimenting (and a
large number of bad pizzas!)
Steve's Pizza Dough (with secret ingredient)
3 Cups flour.
1 1/3 Cups water (warm, for the yeast)
1 package quick-rising yeast.
Salt (approx. 1/2 tsp)
Sugar (approx. 1/2 tsp)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (approx 1 1/2 tbsp)
....and the secret ingredient is:
Grated Parmesan Cheese (approx 1/4 C)
Now, I'm not one to go with exact measurements unless I have to, so
here's my best (and first) attempt to describe the amounts used in this
recipe:
Mix yeast with warm water, in seperate measuring cup, not in the
mixing bowl. You want to do this first so that the yeast has time to
"get going" before you add it to the rest of the ingredients.
Put flour, sugar, salt, cheese, and oil in bowl. There's no need to
stir yet.
Get yourself ready to mix, then add water and yeast to bowl. As
soon as you add the water you want to try to get it well mixed as
quickly as possible. Mix until all ingredients are blended. When
ingredients are mixed, dough should be sticky to the touch, but not to
runny. I then "cut" the dough at least a dozen times, with my mixing
spoon. This is (I think) what takes the place of kneading the dough.
Let dough rise for 30-45 minutes. Rember that it needs to be both
warm and moist to rise. What I usually do is turn the oven on bake for
about 3-4 minutes (any temperature will do) then turn it OFF, open the
door for a few seconds (to let it cool down slightly) then cover the
bowl with a wet towel, and place in the oven, door closed.
After this first rising period, you should take the dough out,
lightly sprinkle it with flour to keep it from sticking to your hands,
and "punch" the dough down. This amounts to just pressing it a little
bit all around. Don't remove from bowl.
Let rise (same conditions) for another 20-35 minutes. Total rising
time should be between 45 minutes and just over an hour. It's my
opinion that the longer you let the dough rise, the better taste it will
have, but I've let it rise for only 45 minutes and had it come out just
fine. This is usually done with a 30/15 minute split between the two
rising periods.
Now, grease your pizza pan using a small amount of olive oil or oil
spray and put the dough on the pan. Dust dough with flour again (to
keep it from sticking to your hands -- as needed while rolling) and
spread it onto the pan. As long as you grease the pan, spreading the
dough should be easy. It will be pretty thin all around. (I use a
12x24 (?) rectangular pan -- I think that two 12" rounds will work too,
but have never tried it)
Baking times are usually about 10-12 minutes in a 450 degree oven,
on the middle rack. It should be obvious when the pizza is done, by the
look of the crust (turning light brown) and the look of the cheeze (just
getting those brown cooked spots on it)
Suggested toppings:
Motzerella and pepperoni with pizza sauce.
Thinly sliced tomatoes, cheddar, onion, with a garlic & olive oil sauce.
Fresh mushrooms, motzerella, and cooked sausage, pizza sauce.
Pizza secrets:
What about thick crust pizza? Well, I'm not really fond of thick
crust pizza, but from my experience, this is what I'd have to say: Use
this recipe on a smaller pan. Use more pizza sauce, or a pizza sauce
with more water. This will cause the top layer of the dough to cook
less than the layer touching the pan. Cook at a lower temperature, with
the pizza pan on a lower rack of the oven. All of these things will
make your pizza more dough-ey. Experiment at your own risk!
What about even crispier crust? Use a little bit less water (but
still more than 1 Cup water) in the recipe. This will give you a drier
dough. Cook the pizza on a lower rack in the oven. Experiment at your
own risk!
When rising the dough, make sure that you use a cloth towel, not a
paper towel. Paper towels just don't hold enough water to stand up to
the dryness of the oven.
If you have any great (or terrible) pizza experiences, I'd like to know
about it!

Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough


Hmm. This is a bit tough, because when I worked at a pizzeria, the quantities
were a bit daunting. I'm not going to do the conversions, and though it's a
bit ridiculous, here's the recipe for about 55-60 medium (12") pizzas.
30.70 lb flour (a little less for dry days, a little more for humid days)
1 gallon water (cold if you want to use the dough later)
..25 lb yeast (I don't remember what type. It was in 1lb blocks, and it bore
a resemlance to a cinnamon roll in that it looked like it
was in layers)
1/4 cup salt.
Mix it all until it looks like it's ready to be used.
Cut it into 1 lb portions, then roll it into a ball (there's a specific
way of doing this, but it shouldn't matter, just make it into a ball)
then put it into whatever you're using to hold it while it rises. Flatten
it a bit with the palm of your hand.
let it rise once, then use it.
If it's done properly, then it'll stretch and whatnot so you can
play with it the same way guys in pizzarias do. As opposed to the
way that standard bread dough is fairly inflexible.
The reason that I put down this whoe recipe is that when I make pizza
dough for myself, I can do it by sight, so I've never bothered to
do any measurements. Hope that this is useful. Someone please convert
this. My primary stumbling block is that I've no notion about converting
# of flour to cups.

Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough

Here's my well-used pizza dough recipe (I've made four pizzas this week
already).
flour (approx. 3 cups)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 packet fast-rising yeast
1 C. water at 120-130F (use a thermometer; your hot water tap should
probably be able to give you water this hot)
2 tsp. olive oil
Blend the yeast with two cups of flour and the salt. Add the water and
the oil and mix to form a dough. Add more flour as necessary until you
can knead the dough. Knead for about 6 minutes (I use my KitchenAid).
Put the dough in a bowl and allow to rise for about 45 minutes. In the
meantime, preheat the oven to 400F and prepare your toppings.
Split the dough into two pieces and roll into two medium size pizzas. In
the U.S., you can use bread flour to make the pizzas. If so, the dough
should be strong enough to handle spinning in the air. For that to work,
though, *do not knead the dough (or punch down) after it has risen!* If
you want to spin, it'll probably go easier if you just resort to using
all the dough for one large pizza.
If you're rolling the dough, ideally you can roll it out on parchment
paper, which can go directly into the oven with the pizza. Why not do it
on a cookie sheet? Well, the secret of a good pizza crust (particularly
a thin one) is that the pizza should bake directly on a hot surface. I
have lined my oven with quarry tiles, and I bake my pizzas directly on
that. A pizza stone can be had at a cooking store, or you might try
baking directly on the floor of your oven. If you try to bake on a
cookie sheet that you slide into the oven with the pizza on it, I think
you'll find yourself frustrated in the quest of good crusty pizza.
So, after rolling out and preparing your pizza on top of parchment
paper, slide the paper (with the pizza on it) onto a large cutting board
held level with the counter. Then open the oven and gently shake the
cutting board so that the pizza and the paper slide right off. Don't be
scared, it works!
If you don't have parchment paper... Well, in the U.S., parchment paper
can be hard to find in some areas (why, I don't know -- it's the most
useful baking tool I have). So, in this case, roll out (or spin) your
pizza dough and then place it on a cutting board **liberally** dusted
with cornmeal. Put the toppings on the pizza and then do the same
sliding trick before (although it's good to check, just beforehand, that
the pizza doesn't seem stuck anywhere to the board). I've made a lot of
pizzas this way, too, and though it's not quite so easy to get the pizza
from the board to the oven as with parchment paper, it certainly works
(again, don't be scared!).
Finally, bake the pizza from anywhere between 12-18 minutes. The dough
will be hard, so you won't have any trouble pulling the pizza out of the
oven with a pot holder onto a cutting board.
And if you have a pizza peel instead of a cutting board, use that!

Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough


My recipe takes about 20 minutes to cook, at 425-450 degrees, but it
does depend on the pan you're using - I find a ceramic pizza pan cooks
the dough much better than a tin pan, which can leave a soft bit in
the middle.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups plain flour (or half and half white and wholemeal)
2/3 - 3/4 cup warm water - add yeast (a packet, or 2 tsp), and a
tsp of sugar.
Leave the yeast 5-10 min to bubble and add to the flour, with
about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix roughly in a bowl, then
put in the food processor, and process, adding a LITTLE more
water if it won't form a ball. Turn out in the bowl, which has
had a teaspoon of olive oil put in it. Roll the ball in the oil,
cover loosely, and leave until risen (depends on the weather, but
I find an hour is enough).
Spread out in your pizza platter (ceramic if possible, see above),
and it will begin to rise again while you potter around the kitchen,
finding whatever ingredients are available to make fridge pizza.
Cook about 20 minutes - I've never had any problem with anything
burning, except maybe the odd mushroom.

Caramelized Onion Pizza

Caramelized Onion Pizza


Dough:
Basic White Dough
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup warm water
1 pack (1/4 ounce) dry yeast
3-1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup olive oil (optional: excluding it makes a chewier dough)
1 Tsp. salt (if excluding oil, use 1/2 Tsp. salt)
Whole Wheat Dough
1 Tbs. sugar
1-1/4 cups warm water (110 - 115 degrees)
1 pack (1/4 ounce) dry yeast
1-1/4 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Dissolve sugar in water and add yeast. Stir gently until disssolved (about
1 minute) Let stand until the yeast foams slightly (about 5 minutes) to
insure that the yeast is effective. Combine 3 cups of the flour and salt
in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and oil if you are using it.
Begin kneading the mixture, gradually adding enough of the remaining 1/4 cup
flour so that the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the
dough is smooth and elastic (another 10-15 minutes by hand). Shape dough into
a ball and put in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it with the oil.
Let rise until doubled in bulk (45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours, depending on the
yeast and the temperature). Punch down the dough and shape into 1 or 2
pieces. The entire recipe will make one large (16") pizza or two small
(12") pizzas. Shape the dough either by hand or with a rolling pin,
stretching out as necessary to achieve a thin dough. For a lighter crust,
let the dough sit for a half hour after shaping before constructing pizza
and baking.
Topping:
1/4 cup olive oil for frying onions
6 cups thinly sliced onions (approximately 3 pounds)
6 garlic cloves
3 Tbs. fresh thyme or 1 Tbs. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
2 Tbs. oil for dribbling on top of pizza (optional)
1 Tbs. drained capers
1-1/2 Tbs. pine nuts
Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil and add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
Cook, stirring occassionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated and the
onion mixture is very soft, almost smooth, and caramelized, about 45 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
Cover the dough with the onion mixture, sprinkle with capers and pine nuts,
and drizzle with remaining olive oil if you are using it. Bake in
pre-heated 500 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. The baking
time will vary depending on whether you bake on a stone, a screen or in a
pan. Be sure that your oven is well pre-heated before putting pizza in.

California Pizza

California Pizza

Dough:
1 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)
2 packages yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pesto:
1 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
------------------
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 green peppers, seeded and sliced into strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1/2 pound garlic and fennel sausage or sweet Italian sausage
3 ounces goat cheese
10 ounces Mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Prepare dough: Dissolve yeast in water and set aside. Mix
flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Make a "well" in the
center, pour in yeast solution and olive oil. Blend in the
flour using a fork, working towards the outside of teh well.
As dough becomes stiff, incorporate remaining flour by
hand. Gather into a ball and knead eight to ten minutes
on a floured board. Place in an oil-coated bowl, cover with
a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until
doubled in size, approximately two hours.
Prepare pesto sauce using a blender or food processor.
Combine all ingredients exceptp cheese. Process but do not
create a puree. Stir in cheese. Set side.
Saute onions and peppers in one tablespoon olive oil and
water in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently
until peppers are soft. Drain and set aside. Brown sausage,
breaking into pieces as it cooks. Drain off excess fat. Chop
coarsely and set aside.
Preheat overn to 400 degrees. Spread remaining olive oil
evently over a 12--inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
Punch down pizza dough, flatten lightly with a rolling pin,
turn and flatten with fingers. Place dough in pan
and spread to edges with finertips. Bake five minutes.
Spread pesto sauce over dough. Crumble goat cheese evenly
over pesto. Add onions and peppers, sausage, and cheeses.
Bake 10 minutes or

Broccoli Deep Dish Pizza

Broccoli Deep Dish Pizza

(from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash)
1 pkg dry yeast
1 1/3 c warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 t sugar
3 1/2 c unbleached flour
1 c cake flour
1 1/2 t salt
1 c plus 2 T olive oil
3 t minced garlic
(1) 15-oz can tomato sauce
(1) 12-oz can tomato paste
2 t oregano
2 t basil
2 c sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper
1 lb Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
1/2 t crushed fennel seeds
2 T butter
8 c blanched, roughly chopped broccoli
1 T shortening
3 1/2 c grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
Dissolve yeast in warm water; stir in sugar. Combine flours and salt,
and gradually add the dissolved yeast and 1/4 cup of the oil. Knead
until the texture is smooth. Put in a large bowl, cover with plastic
wrap, and let rise until triple in bulk (2-3 hours).
Meanwhile, prepare the fillings. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a saute
pan, add 2 t garlic, and cook for 30 seconds (without browning.) Stir
in the tomato sauce and paste, simmer until thickened. Stir in basil
and oregano, set aside to cool.
Head 2 T of the oil and saute the mushrooms until lightly browned and
the liquid is evaporated. Season to taste, and set aside to cool.
Remove and discard the casings from sausage, crumble and add the
sausage to the pan along with fennel. Cook thoroughly, remove and
cool. Heat the butter and 2 T of the oil; at 1 t of garlic and stir
for 30 seconds. Stir in the broccoli until coated well and any liquid
is evaporated. Season to taste; set aside.