Favorite Pizza Recipe

When it comes to dreaming up a new pizza recipe it all comes down to what, where, when, how, why and for whom. Pizza can come in many forms.

Cookies can become a giant cookie when baked on a pizza pan. The company that makes peeps for easter has branched out into other holiday sugary forms and these are wonderful for putting on the top of the pizza's. Plastic spiders can become giveaways for the kids (or) cut cookies to look like tombstones and put them on the frosted top. Marshmallows can be stacked to look like ghosts. C'mon use your imagination!

In order to make a cookie pizza all you have to do is make your favorite cookie recipe. Toll house, ginger, sugar or whatever kind of cookie you want and instead of baking lots of little cookie's just put the cookie dough onto a pizza pan, spread it out and bake it for approximately 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Now remember I said approximately because every oven is different. You will want the cooky dough to be done, but not burnt. If you have a convection oven adjust the recipe accordingly. (That usually means that I'm hovering around the oven with my oven mitts at the ready.)

The tops of the cookie pizza's can be anything you want it to be. If you wish, just buy ready made frosting, spread it over the cooled cookie and add whatever toppings you want. Last Easter I went to the grocery store and bought the peeps chicks and bunnies and made coconut nests for the chicks with jelly bean eggs and the bunny's were put around the edge of the cookie. I then used chocolate sprinkles for "bunny poop." My youngest granddaughter freaked out and wouldn't eat the cookie because it had bunny poop on it. When I showed her the sprinkles she still wasn't sure until grandma would take a bite.

Rice Krispie crusts can be put onto a pizza pan, frosted with orange frosting, black frosting piped on (or black licorice) to look like a spiderweb and because I'm not real handy with drawing anything, I go to the store and look for something that's already made to put on the top. The recipe is the basic treat recipe then spread it onto a pizza pan and decorate. If you don't have the recipe for Rice Krispie treats it is located at www.ricekrispies.com. All you need is 3 Tablespoons butter; 1 (10 oz.) pkg. regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
and 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal and stir to coat completely. Using buttered spatula spread it onto a pizza pan and decorate. The "sweet" pizza's work all year round.

Another "sweet" pizza crust can be made from sweet roll dough and prebaked. Spread with a mix of an 8 ounce block of cream cheese and a 7 ounce jar of marshmallow fluff. Top with your favorite fruits and serve.

At our house we also have what I call "leftover" pizza. This is made with a ready-made pizza crust, pizza, spaghetti or alfredo sauce. Whatever leftovers are in the refrigerator and whatever shredded cheeses you want. All you do is spread the sauce on the crust, add the leftovers and top with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until it's heated through and the cheese melts. You will be surprised how good this is!

I use leftover chicken on another pizza. Again you purchase a ready made crust, add your favorite barbecue sauce, leftover chicken and shredded cheese. You spread the barbecue sauce on the crust, top with chicken then the cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through and the cheese is melted.

If you like to make your own crust to have on hand, I use a couple good recipes. One uses yeast and the other doesn't. PIZZA CRUST: Sift together 2 cups flour, 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder; and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening. Add 3/4 c. milk and blend with a fork. Knead dough gently for 1 to 2 minutes and roll out. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

PIZZA DOUGH: 1 pkg. yeast; 1 cup warm water; 1 tsp. sugar; 3 cups flour; 1/2 tsp. salt; 2 Tbsp. salad oil. Mix like bread dough. Let rise 1/2 hour. Divide dough and spread onto pizza pans. Bake in 350 degree oven until golden brown. This will make two good size pizza crusts.