Homemade Pizza

Tim and I both love pizza. It is our go-to easy dinner idea. Whether it is hand tossed, thin crust, or a calzone, we love it.

I had looked for a long time and had tried several other recipes (with varying degrees of failure), before finding this one. It has a nice flavor and rises nicely. The amount of flour can vary significantly with each batch. Each time that I have made it, I have used a different amount of flour; from 2 to 2 ½ cups.

Basic Pizza Dough

3/4 C. Warm Water or Flat Beer (105-115°F)

4 tsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

2 to 2 1/4 C. Bread Flour

Heat water in microwave until temperature reaches 105-115°F. (If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast). Sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water and stir in until dissolved. Add sugar and stir in a teaspoon of flour; set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture should begin to bubble. If the mixture doesn't bubble, either the yeast is too old or the temperature of the water was too hot and you should start over again with fresh yeast or cooler water.

After the yeast begins to bubble, add it to the remaining ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer (or other large bowl). Knead on low speed for 15 minutes or turn out onto a clean work surface which has been dusted lightly with flour and knead for the same amount of time.

The dough should feel slightly sticky when you are done kneading, but it shouldn't cling to your hands. If it does, knead in a few dustings of flour. If the dough doesn't feel slightly sticky, there's not enough moisture; knead in a few drops of water.

Tip: To hydrate the dough just a little, soak a paper towel with water and wrap it lightly over the dough ball and leave it to rest for 5 minutes, then knead the extra moisture into the dough.

Exact measurements for the quantities of flour and water are never accurate since one batch of flour will absorb more or less water than another based upon storage and harvesting methods, age of flour and the type of wheat, the way in which the flour is milled, the weather, and a number of other conditions. Each time the dough is prepared is unique, but experience will teach you the proper consistency.

When the dough is smooth and elastic it is ready to begin the rising phase.

Place a few drops of olive oil at the bottom of a large heavy bowl. Place the rounded dough ball in the bowl and turn to coat the mass lightly with oil; this prevents the dough from forming a crust which would keep it from rising fully. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean, damp cotton towel and place in a warm place, free from draft. (Inside an oven, on top of a refrigerator or hot water heater are good spots if they are draft-free).

Allow the dough to rise, undisturbed until it has nearly doubled in bulk. This can take 60-90 minutes, depending on the yeast and room temperature.

At this point, the dough may be punched down (deflated - the air bubbles pressed out) and stretched to form a pizza crust and used immediately (or it may be sealed tightly in freezer bags and frozen for later use; defrost in microwave for 5-7 minutes or allow to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before using).

When ready to bake, set the baking rack in the oven to the lower or lower-middle rack and set the oven temperature to 475°F. Allow oven to preheat for at least 20 minutes. If available, a pizza stone may be set in the oven for a crisper crust.

While the oven preheats, stretch (don't roll) the dough out to a 14 inch diameter circle (or much wider if you prefer even thinner pizza crusts). The dough may be pressed out on a work surface and transferred to an ungreased pan (sprinkle a little cornmeal or semolina flour into the pan to prevent sticking, or spray lightly with olive oil spray). Another method is to press the dough directly into the pan. Or if you're feeling adventurous, stretch the dough out by holding it over the backs of two upheld hands, turning and allowing the dough's weight and gravity to stretch it out (they use a variation of this method in pizza shops to make the famous "hand stretched" dough).

Top with preferred toppings, such as sliced fresh peppers, mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, anchovies, cooked Italian sausage, etc. Sprinkle with a few hot red pepper flakes (according to taste) and salt and pepper. Feel free to experiment with toppings of your choice, varying the quantity and type of sauce or cheese. You may also brush the crust with garlic butter to add some additional flavor.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.



Source: Cooks.com

Irish Car Bomb Cake

In keeping with the Irish theme of my Dad’s birthday dinner, I had to make this cake. It is amazingly rich and moist and I want the buttercream on everything that I eat from now on.

Although I could not taste the Guinness in the cake, it really brought out the flavor of the chocolate. I happen to like Bailey’s, so I used a heavy hand for the frosting, but this can be adjusted to taste. The below recipe makes just enough icing to frost the two cakes, so if you would like to add decorative piping, you will want to increase the ingredients.

 Irish Car Bomb Cake

Ingredients:

For the Guinness Chocolate Cake:

1 C. Stout (Guinness)

1 C. Unsalted Butter

¾ C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 C. All-Purpose Flour

2 C. Sugar

1½ tsp. Baking Soda

¾ tsp. Salt

2 Large Eggs

2/3 C. Sour Cream

For the Ganache Filling:

8 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped

2/3 C. Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp. Butter, at Room Temperature

2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream or Irish whiskey

For the Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting:

½ C. Unsalted Butter, at Room Temperature

3-4 C. Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

4-8 Tbsp. Bailey’s Irish Cream

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and grease and flour parchment paper.

Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds). Add the butter and Bailey’s/whiskey and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be spread (you can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling). Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, spread it over the bottom cake layer. Top the ganache with the top cake layer.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a hand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cake as desired.



Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats

Shepherd's Pie

My parents stayed with us on their way to Dallas. Since we would not be seeing my dad on his birthday, we decided to celebrate it that night. I decided to make one of the few Irish foods that I will actually eat.

This recipe is an amalgamation of several that I have found in various cookbooks and websites. The biggest changes that I have made are to use beef instead of lamb and to include Guinness.

Shepherd’s Pie

Filling:

3 Tbsp. Canola Oil

2 lbs. Ground Beef

Salt and Pepper

1 Medium Onion, Chopped

4 Carrots, Peeled and Diced
2 Tbsp. Parsley
1 tsp. Thyme

1 C. Guinness (or other Stout)

2 C. Chicken or Beef Stock

3 Tbsp. Flour

Topping:

2 lbs. Potatoes, Peeled and Cut into 1-inch pieces

½ C. Milk

2 Tbsp. Butter

½ C. Cheddar Cheese, Grated

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the beef and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned (does not have to be fully cooked at this point). Drain the meat and season with salt and pepper.

I used baby carrots for this dish. Just make sure that there is approximately the same amount of carrots and onions.

2. Stir in the onion, carrots, parsley, and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add the broth and stout. Bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened. Season again with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 425°F.

4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Add the milk and butter and stir until smooth.

5. Transfer the stew to a large casserole dish or 4 individual ovenproof casserole dishes. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the mixture is hot. Preheat the broiler for just a few minutes and sprinkle the potatoes with the grated cheese, if using. Place the pie under the preheated broiler, 4 inches from the heat source, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly browned and the cheese is bubbling.

Orange Cream Cookies

As soon as I saw these cookies, I had to make them. They smell and taste exactly like a Creamsicle.

The original recipe calls for a pouch of Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, but I used the sugar cookie recipe that I used for the Easter Egg Stained Glass Sugar Cookies.

Orange Cream Cookies

3/4 C. Butter, Softened

1 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Orange Extract

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2-1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

5 Drops Yellow Food Color

2 Drops Red Food Color

1-1/2 C. White Vanilla Baking Chips

Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, orange extract, and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in food coloring. Stir in baking chips.

On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough with 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop or by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until dough is set (do not overbake). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.


Adapted from: Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies, 2009

Glazed Toffee Bonbons

This is another recipe from one of my Christmas cookie books. I am a sucker for anything with toffee and the glaze is amazing. Tim and I both ate way too much of the leftovers.

The only real change that I made was to substitute peanut butter chips for white vanilla baking chips. This was no commentary on the original recipe; it was simply that I did not have vanilla chips.

 Glazed Toffee Bonbons

Cookies:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 bars (1.4 oz. each) chocolate covered English toffee candy, finely chopped

Glaze:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup peanut butter chips

Heat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, the vanilla and the egg with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir chopped candy into the dough. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 1 inch apart.

Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until edges start to brown and tops of cookies feel set when tapped. Place cooling racks on waxed paper. Immediately remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Meanwhile, in a 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of the milk over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture just comes to a boil and sugar is dissolved. Stir in powdered sugar; beat with a wire whisk if necessary to remove lumps. Immediately dip tops of cookies into glaze or spread on top of cookies. (Cookies don't need to be completely cooled, just firm and set.) Place on rack; let stand about 10 minutes until glaze is set. If glaze starts to set in saucepan, reheat over medium-low heat and beat with a wire whisk.

Place chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in separate ziploc bags. Microwave each on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, squishing the bags every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.

Then cut off the corner and drizzle over cookies. Refrigerate 20 minutes to set quickly.

Adapted from: Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies, 2009