Two Pizzas, Calzone, Cinnamon Rolls & Bread - A Tale of Five Loaves

It is said that you can't ever have too much dough.
 I'm pretty sure this saying was meant for bread dough, but that's what I got.

I had a bag of Rhodes Bread Dough (5 loaves) in my garage refrigerator. The temperature in the freezer was apparently lower than the outside temperature. Resulting in the bread dough thawing.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. In my case life gave me 5 loaves of bread dough, so I got to baking!

I started but cutting & measuring out one pound hunks off the big mass of dough.

Once the bread dough is thawed, it's a short period between start and finish on any of these projects.
I made these 5 items in an afternoon.

I made a traditional round 12 inch pizza; a rectangular Sicilian pizza; Cinnamon Walnut Rolls, a Ham & Provolone calzone and a white bread.  Below are the photos and the gadgets I used.  My house smells like a bakery! That's a good thing.    If I left out anything, leave a comment, I'll be sure to reply.

Rolled dough into a 12 inch circle, sprinkled corn meal onto the tray of  my Presto Pizza Pizazz

Added sauce (Barilla), fresh shredded mozzarella, parmigiana, oregano , extra virgin olive oil.
Let rise 10 min.

Set the Pizazz for a 20 minute cooking time.

Done!

I also cooked my free sample of Ristorante Pizza (frozen) from my bzz campaign, on my  Pizzazz.

One pound Rhodes bread dough, lightly brushed with olive oil.

Baked in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Nicely browned with a crisp outside crust.

                                                                                          

Roll 1 lb. bread dough loaf into a 12 x 16 rectangle

Add cold cuts and cheese down the center.

Using kitchen shears, cut strips on each side.

Cross strips over each other, rub top with olive oil, add oregano. Optional: sesame seeds.

Slide onto a 12 x 16 tray let rise 10 min. 

Once it rises, bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Baked calzone.

Piping hot, cheese melted, bread perfectly cooked.

                                                       

Roll bread dough into a 12 x 16 rectangle.

Filling, 1 stick softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. cinnamon. Mix .

Dollop mixture over the dough.

With a rubber spatula spread filling mix from top to bottom.

Chop approx. 1 cup of walnuts, or pecans.

                                                              

Fold over to start your roll. Then roll to the end, be sure the seam  is on the bottom.

I used this Birkmann Brotform Bread pan.

                                                                  

Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch sections. You should get 12 pcs.

Place sections spiral side up.

I moved two into the middle. Let rise 10 min. 

Bake 350 degrees 25 minutes. Add dollop of glaze. When the glaze warms, spread it with rubber spatula.
For the glaze: 2 Tbsp. melted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. milk or cream, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. orange zest.

Sicilian Pizza
Roll bread dough into a 12 x 16 rectangle, move onto a baking sheet, that has olive oil drizzled on the bottom.
Add sauce, cheese & your favorite toppings. Let rise 35 minutes until nice and thick.
Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cut & serve!

                                                                

Chocolate Mini "lava" cakes WW Friendly

 

This past Wednesday I wanted to make a Weight Watchers friendly lunch and dessert for my cousin and I.
I made homemade chicken soup (same recipe as in archived video post) and I made these chocolate mini cakes:

I did a search for Weight Watchers mini muffins and came up with a recipe that called for a 15 oz. can of pumpkin. I did not have pumpkin.  I remembered that many low calorie recipes called for applesauce so I decided to experiment.  What resulted were mini chocolate cakes that had a "molten lava" type center! The molten lava was actually the moist center created by the applesauce. The chocolate mini cakes recipe using  pumpkin were one Weight Watcher point. I would say the applesauce cakes would be about the same.
 I do hope you'll try this and let me know how you like it.
Gadgets: I used this cute Nordic Ware Tartlet pan to bake them in & this tablespoon size scoop.
                                                

Recipe

Cheryl's Chocolate Applesauce Mini Cakes

Makes 24 Mini Cakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 box    Betty Crocker Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

1 1/2 cups Applesauce (I used my homemade applesauce w/cinnamon, no sugar)

1/4 cup water 

If your applesauce is watery, only add a little water at a time until the batter looks like what
 a traditional cake mix would look like at this point using the traditional recipe.

Mix the above with an electric mixer for 3 minutes until well blended.

Spray with cooking spray your muffin tin.

Almost fill each mini muffin tin.
 If you have scoops, use the medium (1 Tbsp.) scoop, see below Amazon item

Bake for 20 minutes. The middles will be moist, so a toothpick test will not work.

As long as the tops look cooked, the mini cake is done.

I ate one hot out of the oven! It was delicious.

 Once cooled, you can package and freeze them.

                                                               

My Oh My, It's Blueberry (Mini) Pie!

It's Friday the 13th!  Turns out this is a good day for me....I have yummy mini blueberry pies on my menu.

Along with cake pops, cute, little, mini pies are moving right along  on the food trend train.  So when I saw this Chicago Metallic "Cut Pie Set" on Amazon, I knew I wanted to give it a try.  
It is one of the new gadgets I got for myself for Christmas.  Along with the pie set, I also ordered a cookbook Cutie Pies, by Dani Cone. (See Amazon links below.) I found the Mini Pies, book (publisher; Love Food) at T.J.Maxx. 
The recipe for the pies below did not come from either of those cookbooks.  I took the shortcut route to use some of my pantry items.  I had a ready made box of pie crusts & a can of Comstock blueberry filling.  Although it was a shortcut, the end result was delicious.
After experimenting with cutting the pie crusts, I found my second attempt on the second pie crust worked out better, there was much less piecing together of pie dough to make the circle whole (see photos). 

The pie pan works beautifully, it produces perfect little pies. I can see me making sweet & savory pies in this fun little gadget.

  Mini Blueberry Pies 

Makes four mini pies.

Preheat oven 425 degrees

Ingredients

1 can Comstock filling (your choice)
1 box of Pillsbury Pie Crusts (2 in a box)
Nutrition Facts listed below
Roll out the dough as directed. Use the cutter provided with the pie set to cut out four tops and four bottoms.  
Spray pie pans with vegetable spray, fit the bottom crusts; add filling leaving 1/2 inch at the top, gently set the pie crust tops on the filling. Press edges together.  Spray the top crust with vegetable spray, or use an egg wash.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes.  
Watch your pies, once the top crust gets brown, remove from oven.  Cool, 10 min.
Pop the pies up from the bottom, remove the removable bottom, enjoy!

                                             

What's in the box.

Shortcut: Two ingredients - pie crust & pie filling

Two large, one small cut out.

Pieced together top crust.

Second pie crust, cut outs placed a little better. One still needed to be pieced together.

Bottom crusts fitted and filled.

Top pie crusts, placed and crimped. Cut out pieces & extra dough saved for another  use.

Bubbly, brown and baked. I put the pie pan on another pan just in case of a spill over.

Popped out of pan via the removable bottom. One pie is shown upside down to show bottom crust.

Slightly cooled, ready to eat.

Blueberry Filling Nutrition Facts

Servings per container 7

Calories            100

Calories from fat 0

Total Fat           0

Cholesterol       0

Sodium            10

Total Carbs     24g

Dietary Fiber  1 g

Sugars             17g

Protein             0g

Pillsbury Pie Crusts Nutrition Facts

Servings Size 1/8 crust

Servings Per Container 16

Total Fat                   6g

Saturated Fat           2.5g

Polyunsaturated Fat  .5g

Monounsaturated Fat 2.5g

Sodium  130 mg

Total Carbs 12g

Fiber 0

Sugar 0

Protein less than 1g

Homemade Wheat Pasta with Olive Oil & Garlic

Seems every new year many folks start out "gung ho" on the healthy band wagon.  I guess, I'm no different.

I found a whole wheat pasta recipe that sounded like a good compromise from an entirely white flour recipe that I always use. This recipe calls for using half white flour, and half wheat flour, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I'm usually pretty good about reading reviews and taking the advice of the folks that have tried the recipe. Nope, not today. I jumped right in.
After adding the wet ingredients to the dry, I saw that the dough wasn't coming together, so I added a little more oil and a little more water.  That worked!  When I went back to the recipe, I read the first review, it read: "I had to add water..", other reviewers had the same comment.
 
I removed the dough from the food processor, still not quite together, and put it on a floured surface, kneaded it a minute or two, and formed it into a nice round ball. Covered it and let it set for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then started the kneading process through the Kitchenaid rollers. The secret is to run the piece of dough through whichever number settings you use, at least three times.  I used #1, #2  and #4, any thinner the dough started to tear.

Gadgets used: Flour sifter, Cuisinart 14 cup food processor, Kitchenaid mixer and Pasta Roller Attachments, Pasta Drying Rack, non stick Cuisinart Model #622-24 10 inch skillet.
(See below for product info.)

Revised  Whole Wheat Pasta recipe: (makes about 1 lb.)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I used Italian 00, that I bought on Amazon, I split my order w/a friend)
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 eggs
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4  cup (approx.) room temperature water (add SLOWLY until dough comes together)

Directions

1. Sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt in a medium bowl. Pour into your food processor fitted with the regular or dough blade.  Put the eggs in a measuring cup, along with the olive oil. Turn the food processor on. As the flour mixtures mixes, slowly add the egg and olive oil mixture. If needed, slowly add the water, and pulse until dough comes together or almost comes together. If needed, put the mixture onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is stiff and elastic. Cover, and let stand for 30 minutes to relax.  (The dough can also be mixed in your Kitchenaid w/dough paddle.)
2. Roll out dough by hand with a rolling pin, or use a pasta machine to achieve the desired thickness of noodles. Cut into desired width and shapes. Allow the pasta to air dry for at least 15 minutes to avoid having it clump together.

To cook fresh pasta: (I cooked my pasta simply in garlic and oil.)

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil (you have to add salt to water to help season the fresh pasta).

Add the pasta, slightly lower the heat so it doesn't boil over. Pasta will be done in 2 or 3 minutes. When it floats to the top, it's done.  

Ingredients

Dough hook in the food processor bowl

Sifted wheat & white 00 flours

Blended, but not quite together. At this point slowly add water 'till it forms a ball.

Kneaded and shaped wheat dough.

Kitchenaid Pasta Stand, Rollers & Epicurean 6 qt. mixer.

Rested dough, cut into 8 pieces.

After running the first piece through on #1 setting three times.

After running the first piece through on #2 setting three times.

After running the first piece through on #4 setting three times.

Cut the strip in half.

This is the wide noodle attachment.

Using the acrylic rod that comes with the Pasta Stand,
grab the noodles and deliver them to the drying rods.

Slide the noodles from the rod, directly onto drying rods.

Salted boiling water and fresh wheat noodles in Saladmaster pot.

Cooked & drained noodles sauteing in already heated garlic & oil.

Good enough to eat, and I did!

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