S'mores Brownies

These brownies are the perfect embodiment of s'mores. A graham cracker crumb base is covered with a layer of brownie batter followed by another layer of graham crumbs then baked. Mini marshmallows get sprinkled on top and broiled then the whole thing gets sprinkled with a covering of chocolate chips. They look fantastic and taste even better. They are chewy, crispy and gooey all at the same time.

My words of advice are to be really watchful during the marshmallow broiling stage. They go from toasty brown to charred black in seconds!



S'mores Brownies
8" Pan | adapted from Marcy Goldman

Bottom Layer:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted
Brownie Layer:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt

Top Layer:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Topping:
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 - 2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8" square pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang with which to lift the brownies.

2. For the bottom layer, combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the brownie layer.

3. Brownie layer: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, flour and salt. Spread the mixture over the bottom layer in the pan.

4. For the top layer, toss the cracker crumbs with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the brownie batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until just set. Remove the pan from the oven and preheat the broiler.

5. For the final topping, sprinkle the marshmallows on top of the baked brownies. Place under the broiler for 20-60 seconds, or until the marshmallows start to brown. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with chopped chocolate bars. Let cool fully before cutting into bars.

Best Ever Rugelach

I shopped for 24 hours straight this Black Friday. From 10PM Thursday on! My feet are killing me and I slept in til noon today, but it was without a doubt worth it. An LED TV, camera, Soda Stream soda-maker and much much more. I am glad we brought these cookies to munch on through the day, because ya know, there just isn't time to sit down and eat. You might miss the deals!

These classic little crescent shaped cookies are so versatile and fun to make. You can fill them with whatever you like, so feel free to make up your own fillings and find your own favorite. My 4 year old helped me sprinkle on fillings and roll them up. His favorites were the jam-filled ones - no nuts.

Of all the rugelach I've tried, this one is definitely one of the best. It produces a tender, flaky pastry that is incredibly easy to work with and freezes well. The recipe is from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Marcy Goldman of betterbaking.com. I have both of her books, A Passion for Baking and The New Best of Betterbaking.com and have bookmarked many of the pages with my favorite recipes. I believe she is Canadian!



Baked rugelach are best kept between layers of wax paper and loosely covered with aluminum foil (the object is to keep the pastries dry; do not store under a cake dome or closed container). The rich dough freezes well for up to 4 months. Freeze unbaked rugelach on a baking sheet until they are firm, then transfer to heavy-duty resealable plastic food storage freezer bags. There is no need to defrost before baking.



Best Ever Rugelach
Makes 48 | "A Passion for Baking"

Dough:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sour cream
4 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the work surface

Filling:
1 1/3 cups raspberry jam
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups finely chopped nuts (optional)

1. For the dough: Combine the melted butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, sour cream and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until a ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll in a bit of additional flour, as necessary, to make a soft but manageable dough. Divide into 4 portions, press each into a flattened disk and wrap in wax paper. Place them in a large resealable plastic food storage bag; seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Filling: Roll out each portion of dough into a 12" circle on a well-floured work surface. Smear on the jam, covering the surface of the dough, and then evenly sprinkle on the brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, if using. Use a pastry or pizza wheel to cut the dough into 12 wedges. Roll up each wedge snugly and place on the lined baking sheet.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastries are nicely browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cappuccino Cheesecake Muffins

These muffins have a light hint of coffee flavor. They are a muffin-cheesecake hybrid. The base is a muffin/quickbread type mixture that gets topped with a cheesecake type topping. The whole thing bakes up into a batch of beautiful, elegantly domed muffins. Toasted, ground walnuts add a lot of flavor to this recipe but I think hazelnuts would also be fabulous! C'mon... what could be better than an excuse to eat cheesecake for breakfast?

Note: Don't over bake these or else the cheese filling becomes tough. Just as when you make a cheesecake, let them cool in the pans to set fully after removing from the oven. If you prefer a stronger coffee flavor I would increase the amount of instant coffee granules in the recipe.



Cappuccino Cheesecake Muffins
12 large muffins | adapted from Marcy Goldman, "A Passion for Baking"

Topping
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Muffin
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup ground walnuts
Cocoa or cinnamon, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line twelve large (not standard sized) muffin tins with liners (I highly recommend using liners rather than greasing the pans, because of the cheesecake layer on these muffins). Spread out liners to cover bottoms of pans.

2. Topping: Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

3. Batter: Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat together eggs, vanilla and coffee granules. Add to the butter mixture and blend well. Combine all remaining dry ingredients. Add too butter mixture alternating with buttermilk. Mix until just combined into a thick but soft batter.

4. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pans. Top each evenly with the cream cheese topping. Bake until topping is set, 30-40 minutes. Cool fully before serving. Store in fridge. Dust with cocoa or cinnamon just before serving if desired.

Two-Bite Blondies

Hmm... It's gotta be a good day because today is 10-10-10 :)

These little gems are a buttery, blonde version of the popular "two bite brownies" sold in every North American supermarket (or at Costco in huge plastic tubs - lol). These baby blondies are dense, rich and filled with the mellow sweetness of brown sugar studded with melty chocolate chips. These are downright sinful.



They are also a great way to use up the crumbs at the bottom of your bag of chips. The potato chip crumbs are not distinguishable in the finished product, however, they add a hint of saltiness and "je ne sais quoi" to the texture. The recipe doesn't call for salt because of the salt from the chips. Potato flakes are often added to breads and doughs to improve their texture (says Cook's Illustrated). Just so you don't think I'm crazy, Emeril Lagasse also has a Potato Chip Cookie recipe on the Food Network. So throw your skepticism out the window and give these a try! Just make sure you use a thinner chip rather than the thick, rippled Kettle Chips.

I'm submitting this to Brenda's Canadian Kitchen for Cookbook Sundays.

Two-Bite Blondies
Makes 24 | adapted from Marcy Goldman

1 cup butter, melted
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda mixed with 1 tbsp hot water
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed plain potato chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2. With paddle attachment on mixer, cream utter and sugars together until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and the baking soda mixture. Once combined, add the flour and salt and stir in the chocolate chips and potato chips.
3. Pack the batter into the mini muffin cups but do not over-fill. Bake 15-17 minutes or until golden brown on top and set. Cool completely on wire racks then freeze for 45-60 minutes in the pan (to make for easier removal). Remove frozen tartlets from the pan and store in an airtight container so they stay soft and chewy.

Raspberry Cottage Cheese Danishes

I'm not Jewish and I'm ashamed to say that I'm not sure what the rules around Kosher eating are. That is a whole world I've never been exposed to. Regardless, I picked this book up because it had one of my favorite bakers' names on it: Marcy Goldman of betterbaking.com and a CANADIAN!!! I didn't pay much attention to the food rules of the recipes and their Kosherness, I just tried the ones that looked good to me, as I would any other recipe book.

I was pretty impressed with this recipe that uses cottage cheese both in the dough and in the filling. She calls for "Dry Curd Cottage Cheese" which I have sometimes heard referred to as Baker's Cheese. I didn't have that so I strained regular cottage cheese in a sieve in the fridge for a few hours and it worked well.

The pastry is scone-like and the filling is danish-like. You don't even need the jam if you prefer, however, I think it adds a pretty splash of color. These are lower in fat than regular danishes because isn't cottage cheese 2% fat max? The best part - you won't even be able to tell there's cottage cheese in there.



Raspberry Cottage Cheese Danishes
Makes 24 | Treasury of Jewish Baking

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, very cold, cubed
1 cup dry cottage cheese (I drained it for a few hours in a sieve)
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

4oz cream cheese
1 cup dry cottage cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 egg
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp flour
1/2-3/4 cup raspberry jam

1. Dough: In a food processor pulse dry ingredients together. Pulse in butter cubes to form pea sized chunks. Add cottage cheese and process to form a soft dough. Blend in zest, vanilla and lemon juice then transfer to a bowl, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 3 hrs or up to overnight. No need to wash the food processor bowl before the next step.
2. Filling: In a food processor, process cottage cheese and cream cheese until very smooth. Stir in remaining filling ingredients. It will be thick. Refrigerate.
3. Assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
Roll out 1/2 of chilled dough into a 10" square. Cut both squares in half - you will have 4 rectangles of dough. Transfer rolled dough onto the cookie sheet then spread filling down the centre of each rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border. Dot raspberry jam down the middle on top of the cheese filling.
Bring the edges up around the filling and pinch together. You will have 4 rolls in all. Freeze for 10-15 minutes to firm the dough up then cut into 2-3" pastries. Be gentle so the filling doesn't spill out. Separate them slightly on the baking sheet so they are not like a log.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. The seams where you joined the pastry might split but they will still look pretty and taste great.

Blueberries and Cream Mall Muffins

The original recipe for Blueberries and Cream Mall Muffins comes from Marcy Goldman. It seems like anyone who has tried Marcy's recipes loves them. I sometimes wonder why she isn't more famous especially since her recipes are solid and simple. Her website betterbaking.com charges a small fee per recipe or you can check out her books: Best of Betterbaking.com and a Passion for Baking.



These are gorgeous muffins that stand proud and tall. The blueberries are evenly distributed through the muffin with no sinkage to the bottom of the tin. The lemon extract gives it a certain brightness but you can just as easily omit it.



I will go so far as to say that this is my favorite blueberry muffin recipe. After years of searching and baking and eating blueberry muffins, this is it. When I first read this recipe I was surprised by the 425 degree F oven temperature, but it's only for the first 15 minutes so the initial blast of heat gets them to rise. Then you reduce it to 350 degrees F. You can prepare this batter by hand to avoid over mixing and to save on dirty dishes too.

My recommendations for next time:
-Increase sugar to 2 1/2 cups. They were good but not very sweet muffins as is.
-Sprinkle with some granulated sugar before baking.

Blueberries and Cream Mall Muffins
Makes 18 | A Passion for Baking

2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon each lemon and orange extract (optional)
5 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream (I used yogurt)
2 cups blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 18-24 muffin tins.

2. Combine sugar with oil and butter. Fold in 4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend a little, then add in buttermilk and sour cream. Batter should be thick; if not, add more flour.

3. Fold in berries with a spatula. Fill muffin cups as much as possible (heaping high above the cup). Mine were heaped and nothing spilled during baking.

4. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until muffins are golden brown and spring back when gently pressed with fingertips (about 12-16 minutes more). Cool in pans for 5 minutes.

Sour Cream Lemon Blueberry Muffins

So moist and flavorful. They are finely textured with a slight tang from the sour cream that complements the light lemon flavor of the muffin. They are more cake-like than muffin-like but that's maybe why I like them so much. A nutty streusel is the perfect topping to finish these off, making the tops of these muffins simply fantastic.

Sour Cream Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 | adapted from Marcy Goldman

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 lemon, zest and juice of
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp milk or water

2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries

2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins. Combine flour, powder, soda and salt in a small bowl.

2. In a separate large bowl cream together butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add zest, juice vanilla and egg beating to combine ten add sour cream and milk/water.

3. Stir in flour mixture and blueberries very gently, until just combined. Do not over mix. Spoon into muffin tins right to the brim.

4. Prepare topping: combine melted butter, walnuts, flour and sugar until mixture is like wet sand. Add more melted butter if needed. Sprinkle muffins generously with topping, pressing into the batter to adhere. Bake 25-30 mins or until golden brown and toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs on it.

Chewy Chocolate Twists

These yummy little twists feature a ribbon of chocolate filling studded with melty chocolate chips. They're just the right shape and size for easy snacking. The white sugar (instead of brown sugar) gives the filling a nice 'chew' to it as it caramelizes in the oven. Another yummy recipe from Marcy Goldman of Better Baking. This woman is quickly becoming my hero with her awesome recipes. She calls this one "Chewy Chocolate Sticks" and also uses raisins in the recipe.

This is my first time using this shaping method and I will definetely be using it again. It elevated a regular cinnamon bun-style bread into an elegant pastry. I often find that when you pair chocolate with bread the chocolate taste gets a little lost but not with these twists! It came though loud and clear - a great companion to the buttery, soft bread.



Chewy Chocolate Twists
adapted from Marcy Goldman | Makes 24

1 recipe (using approx 4 cups flour) bread dough or sweet dough

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Combine all the filling ingredients except for the butter. After the first rise, roll out dough into a large rectangle about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Spread softened butter evenly over dough then sprinkle evenly with filling. Roll up as though you were making cinnamon buns.

2. Instead of leaving it in the classic bun shape, slice the dough into buns then take each piece, flatten it slightly and give it a few twists before placing it on the pan. Space them a few inches apart as they will rise and expand. As you twist them, they will want to unroll a bit, but be persistant! Cover loosely with a towel and let rise 30 minutes (or up to 45 for lighter, puffier twists. I personally like them denser and chewier).

3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool fully then store airtight.

Jalapeno Cheddar Herb Scones

These were a success at work. I got people requesting the recipe! Please oh please don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list. Don't let that deprive you of the joy of making these. The pre-measuring takes the longest but the recipe comes together in minutes - before the oven's even done preheating! Cornmeal gives these tender scones a nice subtle texture. They are tasty on their own, to die for when slathered in butter and I also can't think of anything better to accompany a bowl of hot soup on a dreary day.

Jalapeno Cheddar Herb Scones
Makes 16 small or 8 large Adapted from Marcy Goldman

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup butter, cold

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 cup frozen, fresh or canned corn
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp minced jalapeno, no seeds
3-4 tbsp sundried tomato pesto or tomato puree (optional)
2 tbsp parmesan for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine all dry ingredients. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. (Can use food processor for this).
3. Beat buttermilk with egg. Add liquids to flour mixture. Toss a few times with a fork then add in the remaining ingredients except for tomato and parmesan. Mix until dough sticks together enough to be rolled out.
4. On a floured surface roll to 3/4" thickness. Cut into desired size squared or wedges. Dot top with tomato pesto/puree and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 10-20 mins depending on size, until golden brown and cheese is oozing.

Pie Dough Apple Strudel

This is almost exactly like an apple pie, just in strudel form/shape. I think the dried fruit in this recipe really makes it pop, providing a nice contrast between tender apples, flaky pastry and chewy craisins. It also travels really well and can be eaten without a fork, unlike traditional apple pie. It's not as pretty, but I can live with that.

I used my favorite apples: granny smith. A lot of people find them too tart to be eaten out of hand but I love their bite and sharp, juicy crispness. Perfect for pie too!



Pie Dough Apple Strudel
12 servings | Marcy Goldman of betterbaking.com

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening, cold
1/2 cup butter, cold
4-6 tbsp ice water

Filling:
6 cups sliced apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries and/or dried chopped apricots
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine dry pastry ingredients. Pulse in shortening and butter until resembles coarse crumbs. Pulse in ice water, just enough to form a dough that holds together. Refrigerate covered at least 1 hr or up to overnight.

Toss all filling ingredients together in a large bowl.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll out each one out as thin as you can, about 9 x 12 inches. Transfer to rimmed cookie sheet. Spread 1/2 filling down the long end of each. Roll up, flattening slightly. It's ok if some fillig peeks through. Cut slits down the length of each to vent apples. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375F for 25 minutes, rotate pan then bake another 20 minutes at 350F or until golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Chocolate Chunk Toffee Coffee Cookies

My son wanted me to feed his toy dinosaur, hence, the cookie-eating dinosaur pic :)

This cookie has everything I love all rolled into one. It's like grown-up twist on classic chocolate chip. It starts with cookie dough spiked with coffee flavor and laced with a hint of chocolate. Combining 2 kinds of chocolate chunks, hazelnuts and crispy toffee bits, every bite is like sensory overload on your tastebuds.

A thin, bendy, chewy cookie, these are a little less sturdy than regular chocolate chip cookies but would still make an awesome take-along treat for (adult) lunchboxes. For thicker cookies refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.



Chocolate Chunk Toffee Coffee Cookies
2 1/2 dozen | Adapted from Marcy Goldman

1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1-2 tbsp instant coffee powder (depending on how much you like coffee)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

2 cups and 2 tbsp flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup white chocolate chunks
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup toffee bits (crushed heath/skor bar)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Dissolve instant coffee powder in melted butter. With a wooden spoon, stir in melted chocolate and sugars followed by egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl combine all remaining ingredients. Add this mixture to the coffee mixture and stir to combine. It will be a softer-type cookie dough. Scoop onto an ungreased cookie sheet by the tablespoonfuls, leaving 2" between cookies as they will spread. Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching closely so as not to overcook them. They are done when edges are light golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack as they will still be very soft but will firm up a bit as they cool while still retaining their chewy texture.

Cinnamon Walnut Monkey Bread

Oh, the infamous monkey bread. Little balls of buttery, sticky, gooey, cinnamon covered goodness baked into a beautiful Bundt. What could be fun-ner? I have also heard this bread being called "bubble bread" or "pull-apart bread".

Be creative! Add in chocolate chips or switch the type of nuts if you like. Some people add a package of vanilla pudding mix to the cinnamon sugar mixture for a more caramelly flavor. You could even add chopped apples and top with caramel sauce instead of icing. In the picture below you can see the stages of done-ness from raw to baked to invernted and finally iced.



I used a dough recipe for "Wondrous Bread" AKA. Copycat Wonder Bread (from my new cookbook by Marcy Goldman of Better Baking.com). The copycat Pizza Hut Pan Pizza Crust which I was really impressed by also came from this book. I can't put my finger on why exactly, but this book struck a chord with me and Marcy Goldman had won my trust early on. This book covers every category of baking, even fried doughs like Beavertails and Doughnuts. Not many pictures in this book, but I didn't miss them at all. She knows her stuff and her recipes are solid, tried, tested and true. I've never been a member of betterbaking.com so I don't know how the book compares to the website, but as a stand-alone, the book is amazing. The recipes range from simple (brownies) to complex (puff pastry) Her experience as a commercial baker shines through as she translates her knowledge into pieces suitable for homr baking. I found this book to be a quick favorite amongst my many baking books.

Cinnamon Walnut Monkey Bread
Makes 1 Bundt | Dough recipe from BetterBaking.com

Dough:
1 1/3 cups warm water
4 1/2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter, melted
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-2 cups bread flour

Filling:
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup light-brown sugar

Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 tbsp of sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add in melted butter, remaining sugar, salt and the all purpose flour. Mix it in by hand or using a dough hook until it forms a soft mass, adding bread flour as needed to form a soft dough, not too much flour! Let rise, covered, in a warm place for 30-45 minutes until almost doubled.

2. Make coating: Put melted butter in a bowl. In another bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar and half the walnuts into a well greased and floured Bundt pan. On the counter, gently deflate dough and divide into 1/2" pieces. Roll into balls. Dip balls in butter, then roll in cinnamon mixture. Layer them in the prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle remaining walnuts over the dough balls halfway through the layering. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes in pan then invert. Cool 20 minutes while you make the icing: In small bowl, combine icing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over slightly cooled bread.

Pizza Hut Pan Pizza

I have a little obsession with pizza. Me and a lot of people I suppose, as there is a whole Pizza Making Forum where they discuss different pizza styles: New York, Chicago, Italian, Thin Crust, Pan Crust, you name it! They also talk about different pizza making equipment like pizza stones and various pans. Come to think of it, I don't think I've actually had a really bad pizza - hard to go terribly wrong with bread, tomato sauce and cheese, right?

My son and I had a lot of fun making these pizzas. I made the dough this morning before work, let it rise in the fridge and then rolled it out and topped it when we got home after picking him up from daycare. We also sang the song "Je Suis Un Pizza" or "I am a Pizza" which I remember singing in my own elementary school classes as a kid. Aww... this mommyhood thing is getting more and more fun as time goes by and as Zach begins asking more questions and interacting more with me. When they were done he quickly scrambled up onto a kitchen chair and yelled at the top of his lungs "DINNER! PIZZA'S READY!" Aww, he melts my heart.

This pizza is a copycat of Pizza Hut's deep dish pizza. I must say, it is pretty close! It might seem like a lot of oil to put in the pan, but it's not too oily once it's baked and it helps the crust not stick. I baked these in my 9" cake pans. The original recipe says you can make 3 pizzas but I could only get 2 out of the recipe.

Pizza Hut Pan Pizza
Makes 2 - 9" pizzas

1 1/3 cup warm water (105F)
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
2 tbsp vegetable oil (for dough)
6 tbsp vegetable oil (3 tbsp per pan)

8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup pizza sauce
toppings of your choice

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil and stir again. Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into two balls. In 2- 9″ cake pans put 3 tbsp oil in each making sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9″ circle. Place in cake pans. Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Prepeat oven to 450 degrees F. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on each pizza and spread to within 1/2 inch of edge. Distribute 1 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese on each pizza. Place toppings of your choice in this order – pepperoni or ham, vegetables, meats (cooked ground sausage or beef) Top with 3 oz. mozzarella cheese. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown – about 15 minutes.