crust

Easy Homemade Pizza Crust

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We are not pizza snobs in our family.  Our table has been graced by so many boxes of Little Caesars $5 pizzas that it’s a little embarrassing.  That being said, I do love to make my own pizza crust and make ‘fancy’ pizza (if there is such a thing).  Homemade pizza crust is actually very easy – this practically foolproof recipe can be the start to some of the best family pizza nights you’ll ever have!  ~Tracy

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Ingredients:  
  • 3 ½ c. all purpose flour
  • ½ c. whole wheat flour
  • 1 package quick rise yeast
  • 1 ½ c. warm (not hot) water
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Here’s how to make it:

Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a small bowl.  Stir gently to dampen all yeast.

Combine the both types of flour and salt in mixing bowl.

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Gradually add the olive oil into the flour mixture until just mixed together.

Pour the yeast and water mixture into the flour and oil while mixing; preferably with the dough hook of a stand mixer.  If you do not have a stand mixer you can do this the old fashioned way – with your hands (spray them with cooking spray first to avoid everything sticking to your hands).  Dough should eventually form a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Swirl a little olive oil (or you can use cooking spray) around the bowl to avoid dough sticking.  Cover the top of the bowl loosely with parchment paper or a lightweight dish towel and allow to rise for approximately one hour or until at least doubled in size.

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Roll out dough on parchment sprayed with cooking spray (helps the dough not to stick) and slide both onto baking sheet or pizza stone.

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Add your favorite toppings and bake at 450 for 12 – 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

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*Makes two crusts approximately 12 x 12 inches.  Adjust the size of your pizza to control the thickness of crust.

*Hint – As dough is rising, you can set your mixing bowl on a heating pad to speed the rising process.

*Hint – If you don’t have wheat flour, using all white flour is perfectly fine.

Butterscotch Pie

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If your idea of butterscotch involves any type of bright yellow candy that is wrapped in cellophane, you are in for shock….REAL butterscotch tastes good!  Amazingly good!  This butterscotch pie is so good that we refuse to make it for group parties and potlucks.  Why? Because we want as much of it for ourselves as possible.  Not good for the waistline, but so good for the soul.

Occasionally as kids, we girls could sweet talk Mom into making a double batch of the pudding so we could have some to eat and still have plenty for the pie. In retrospect, she probably didn’t like to wait for the pie either – but she had us convinced that she was “giving in” and making extra pudding.  We can imagine her trying hard to keep a straight face as she’d say, “Well [sigh], I guess I could…”  Well played, Mom. Well played.  ~Robin and  Tracy

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Ingredients for pie filling: 

  • 4 T. butter
  • 1 c. brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 c. flour
  • 2 c. whole milk
  • 3 egg yolks (slightly beaten) – save whites for meringue
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Ingredients for meringue:

  • 4 egg whites (worth it to use one more egg so you don’t risk being short on meringue)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • ½ tsp. cream of tartar
  • ½ c. sugar

Other ingredients:

The usual baking supplies for your favorite pie crust (or just follow package directions if using store-bought crust; be sure to set it out to thaw, if frozen)

Instructions:

Bake your pie shell; set aside to cool.  If it was on a different temp, change oven to 350 degrees and leave on.

For pie filling, begin by melting, then browning butter in a large sauce pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Do not leave on too low a temp or it will take for-e-ver.  You don’t have time to wait that long for this pie.  As butter gets ready to brown, it will begin to froth quite a bit (see photos below).  Trust the process and keep stirring constantly.  It will turn a nice deep brown before your eyes almost instantly.  Immediately when it turns brown, remove it from the heat.

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Whisk in flour and brown sugar; blend in well.  Return to medium heat and then add milk and lightly beaten egg yolks and continue to stir constantly to keep from sticking.  Cook over direct heat until mixture thickens to pudding consistency.  Remove from heat; then add vanilla and stir it in.  Pour into baked pie crust.  Don’t overfill, as you will need to have exposed crust to seal the meringue.

For meringue, beat egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar for about one minute on medium speed – until soft peaks form.  Increase mixer to high speed, gradually adding sugar now (about 1 T. at a time). Beat on high about 4 or 5 minutes — until forms stiff, glossy peaks and sugar is dissolved. Immediately spread over pie, carefully sealing to the edge of pie crust to prevent shrinking.

Cook 12-15 min. at 350 degrees, or until meringue is golden brown. If edges of crust or top of meringue begin to brown too much, you may need to move pie to a lower oven rack.

Cool completely to room temperature before slicing.

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Thai Chicken Pizza

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My family loves pizza. What’s not to love?  But I get tired of the same, run-of-the-mill basics.  They are good, but come on.   I’ve got to have some variety, y’all!

When I was going to college, there was a little, local restaurant in Stillwater called the Thai Cafe, which I loved.  I miss it!  Now, I have to travel quite a ways to get Thai food.  So I came up with this jazzed up, easy to make, tasty pizza, combining some of my favorite flavors.

It is our new favorite!   ~Kathy

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Ingredients:

1 pizza crust (your favorite recipe or refrigerated — I used Pillsbury thin crust refrigerated dough; points figured with this dough selection)

3 to 4 T. Chili Garlic Sauce*

1 heaping c. chicken breast, cooked and sliced thin**

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thin, seeds removed

1 small zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick

Red onion, sliced thin (about 2 slices)

1 ½ c. shredded low moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese

½ c. shredded mild cheddar cheese (reduced fat, if following WW)

2 T. cilantro (for optional garnish)

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Instructions:

On a lightly greased baking sheet, roll pizza crust out into a rectangle, about 10 x 14 inches.

Spread sauce over crust, very thinly.

Spread remaining ingredients over pizza as desired, ending with cheeses.

Bake according to crust directions, until golden brown, cooked through and cheese is melted.

Garnish by sprinkling with cilantro once it’s cooled a little (optional).

Notes:

*Chili garlic sauce is found in the Asian food section (see photo).  It is full of flavor and some heat.  Use 3 Tablespoons if you like it mild/warm.   If you want it warmer, use up to 4 Tablespoons.  It doesn’t look like much on the crust, but it gives plenty of flavor!

**I used chicken breasts boiled with some onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Once drained and cooled, slice thin.   Rotisserie chicken breast would also be a good substitute.

Weight Watchers Info:  This makes 6 servings, 8 Freestyle SmartPoints per serving.