Fun & Easy Flatbread Pizzas

We recently hosted a night of pizza at The Market and I think guests were a bit surprised when I didn't pull out traditional pepperoni laden pies. I love them too, but felt like I needed to create a little something interesting to get folks talking! I decided to make a couple different flatbread pizzas that showcased cheeses that really make tasty pizzas! The flatbread pizzas cook up quickly and are easy to make individual portions with a variety of toppings to serve a crowd as a main dish or appetizer.

I used the same crust recipe for each as it's super easy and always turns out great and crispy. This recipe also lasts in the refrigerator for about a week so you can have on hand for hungry teenagers or add to another meal as bread sticks or seasoned flatbread.

CRUST
1 cup hot tap water
1 pkg quick acting yeast (I use a Tablespoon of instant yeast)
1 tsp. salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2-3 cups flour

In my KitchenAid mixer, I throw everything together with the dough hook on and allow to knead about 5 minutes until a smooth, somewhat sticky, dough has climbed up the dough hook and all flour is incorporated. I allow to rise about 15-30 minutes (that's the beauty of instant yeast) until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Using a small amount of flour, roll your dough out to desired flatbread size about 1/3 of an inch thick. Mine measure about 4X12. Bake until dough is no longer shiny but not browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven and top being careful not to overfill or they lose the crispiness. Bake an additional 5+ minutes until dough is browned and cheeses are melted. You can also choose to bake flatbread a little longer and after topping, throw under the broiler to melt cheeses. I did this recently for a dish-to-pass and browned them at the host home, it turned out really well.

TRUFFLE BIANCO FLATBREAD: ( I loved the California Pizza Kitchen one SO much, I did a bit of a copycat on this)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, grated
1/4 lb. Dolce latta Gorgonzola, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Pinch of truffle salt per pizza
several fresh sage leaves

In a small saute pan, bring about 1/2 inch of olive oil to heat and fry sage leaves until crispy. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Top each cooked flatbread with a few tablespoons of fresh mozz, a few chunks of Gorgonzola, a good pinch of truffle salt and lay out 3-4 sage leaves on top depending on size.

CAMEMBERT, APPLE & MUSTARD FLATBREAD:
Whole Grain Mustard (I used Maille brand)
1 Apple, grated and juice squeezed out a bit (I used Honeycrisp)
1/2 lb. camembert or brie cheese, sliced into 1/4 thick slices, rind left on but could be removed
3 slices Proscuitto, sliced into ribbons

On cooked flatbread, spread a thin layer of mustard as evenly as possible but not too thick. Top with a thin layer of grated apples that you have gently squeezed the juice from, a few slices of Camembert or Brie cheese (they are the same thing) and a few ribbons of proscuitto. I like to put this one under the broiler to crisp up the proscuitto, so I bake the crusts a bit longer before topping.

I had a pizza with similar toppings in France and we all fell in love with it! A bit unusual, but definitely a favorite from our tasting :) Our favorite wine to pair with both pizzas was a White Bordeaux (100% Sauvignon Blanc) but the Sicilian red, Nero d'Avola was also great!

Enjoy!

Lenawee Magazine Recipes; Truffles & Pumpkin Fondue

I hope you have enjoyed the article in Lenawee Magazine!  It was great fun working with Amie, Lad, Vicki and Sue for such a lovely photo spread.  Many thanks also go out to Sandy Heckerthorn, Linda Prochaska and John (my husband) for being such good sports and expert peelers, choppers and overall helping hands!  I couldn't have done it without you!

If you DIDN'T receive the Lenawee Magazine, feel free to give The Daily Telegram a call at 517.265.5111 and they can point you in the right direction!

The Pumpkin Fondue is simple, elegant and delicious.  It's hearty enough to serve as a side dish to your meal or as an appetizer.  If you are cooking for a smaller crowd, you can adjust the recipe by half as well.  You can see my original recipe post here with additional notes and photos of the assembly.

Pumpkin Fondue

1 5lb-ish PIE pumpkin (do not use jack o lantern type pumpkin)
1 lb. Cheese- 1/2 lb. Gruyere and 1/2 lb. Emmentaler
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups stock, vegetable, chicken or veal
a generous pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
10 1/4 inch thick baguette slices, toasted until dry and crispy
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
a pinch of Salt
Remainder of Baguette sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices for eating

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut top off pumpkin and clean out seeds. Sprinkle salt onto inside flesh of pumpkin.

Chop or grate cheeses and set aside. Bake baguette slices until crunchy and golden brown. Mix heavy cream, stock and nutmeg together.

Place pumpkin into shallow roasting dish and layer baguette slices, then cheese, then cream mixture into 2 layers inside pumpkin. You may have baguette slices left over.

Put pumpkin top back on. Rub exterior of pumpkin with olive oil. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and pumpkin is golden brown. Using 2 spatulas, remove from baking dish carefully and place on platter. Serve with additional baguette slices or as a side dish. You'll want to scoop up the roasted pumpkin flesh with all the cheese as you are serving or eating!


TRUFFLES 
 12 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate chopped into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean seeds

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to just boiling.  Remove from heat, add chocolate and vanilla and stir until completely melted.

Allow to cool in refrigerator about an hour.  Using a teaspoon, melon baller or small scoop, create truffle balls, rolling gently in hands.  You'll want to work it quickly in your hands to avoid melting.

Finish by rolling in cocoa powder, raw sugar, colored sugar crystals, even coconut or crushed candy canes!  Use your imagination!    

For the magazine, I zested an orange and mixed the zest with about the same amount of raw sugar.  I let the mixture dry on parchment paper overnight then crushed it between my fingers and rolled just the top of the truffle in the orange/sugar.  

Place the truffles on a parchment lined baking and refrigerate an additional hour.  Then place in an airtight container, between layers or waxed/parchment paper in a cool place and they should last about 2 weeks.

NOTE: Bittersweet chocolate is between 65%-75% cacao.  The lower the number, the sweeter the chocolate.  Milk Chocolate will not firm up in this recipe, so I recommend using the bittersweet.  If you'd like the truffles sweeter, make sure to use the 65% bar and roll in a sugar.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we have!  Happy Holidays!