Grilled Pizza Update
If you have been following this blog you might have stumbled upon grilled pizza and maybe you have even made it! You will never know how happy it makes me to hear that you readers have tried something from these pages!
I have continued to tweak and improve the process. I don't know who first said something like, "You should try some dessert pizza." I wish I knew who planted that bug but I don't. One day last year while my walking buddy turned good friend and sometimes kitchen companion Michele and I were hoofing it along our local path we talked through our thoughts on grilled pizza and I think we started experimenting right away. After many attempts, mostly delicious I have settled on this as my preferred method of . . .
Dessert Pizza!
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| Looks good, but wait till you taste it! |
Start with the basic pizza crust dough from the grilled pizza page, remember that this recipe is for two of these smallish pizzas. It is the perfect little ending to your delightful grilled pizza event.
Apple Pie Pizza
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. honey
1 apple, thinly sliced (I used 1/2 granny smith and 1/2 gala)
Add water to small saucepan and stir in cornstarch until it dissolves. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and honey. Add apple slices. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is thickened and apples begin to soften. Set aside.
Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Put all ingredients in a small bowl and use a fork or pastry blender to combine. Set aside until time to make pizza.
To grill the pizza follow the directions at grilled pizza page for spreading the dough and grilling. Once you have grilled the crust on one side and flipped it over, spread on a little softened butter, then the apple filling. Top with prepared crumb topping. Grill until bottom of crust is golden brown. Remove from grill and cut into 6 or 8 pieces. Savor and enjoy!
Peach Pie Pizza
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. cornstarch
1-2 tsp. honey (if peaches are really sweet I usually omit)
2 ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
Add water to small saucepan and stir in cornstarch until it dissolves. Stir in honey and add peaches. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is thickened. Set aside.
Follow directions from Apple Pie Pizza for crumb topping and grilling.
Mixed Berry Pie Pizza
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. cornstarch
1-2 tsp honey
1 cup strawberries, raspberries, blueberries (one or any combination)
Add water to small saucepan and stir in cornstarch until it dissolves. Stir in honey and add berries. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is thickened. Set aside.
Follow directions from Apple Pie Pizza for crumb topping and grilling.
A Few More Tweaks . . .
Besides the addition of dessert pizza to my menu I have continued to let the pizza process and combinations evolve. Pizzas are rarely the same, but it is always a fun and yummy experience. I love to have the table on my deck filled with friends and family and we let the grilling begin. On the best days I have the dough ready, the toppings assembled on a platter, all the tools and pans I will need close at hand, the wine chilled, and the salad made. Off we go!
One of my favorite combinations . . .
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| I call this Greek Pizza |
The crust is brushed with olive oil or olive oil warmed a while with a few cloves of sliced garlic and some basil and oregano leaves. Then the pizza is topped with black and green olives, red onion, torn basil leaves, mushrooms (although I don't see any in this corner piece) and feta cheese. Some cooked sausage and chopped artichokes are also good on this pizza.
Michele and I seem to feed off each other. One of us makes a suggestion and our food talk turns into action. She mentioned that she sautés her veggies for pizza. Great idea! I especially like the mushrooms and onions sautéed a bit in olive oil before adding to the pizza.
Try some new sauces and toppings. How about Alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, lightly cooked chopped broccoli and some parmesan cheese? Or maybe brush the cooked crust with ranch dressing, add grilled chicken and cooked crumbled bacon with parmesan or mozzarella?
While making pizzas for a bunch of teenagers Michele and I made a S'mores pizza on a whim one night. Brush the crust with melted butter. Add some crushed graham crackers, milk chocolate chips, marshmallows. We heard it was really good, but we didn't get a chance to find out!
I am dreaming of the day I try a chocolate pizza of some sort. Stay tuned for that.
My Bossy Boots sister Pam has been hounding me for a salad dressing post and I have one formulating in my head about Pesto, too. Hey! I need to put some of that on a pizza! Anyway, I have plans to write again before long.
Now for the big exciting news. . .
This might be part of the reason I have not been writing. I am now a grandma! In early June baby grandson Clark Alexander arrived to steal my heart. He has quickly turned into my very favorite guy. He has lots of his daddy's features, but his mommy's blue eyes. He has wonderful expressions as his little personality is beginning to become evident. He lives a short two hours away so I see him almost every week. I'm sure his stories will be sprinkled in with my recipes.
Thanks for reading what I write. Don't forget to let me know all about your dessert pizzas!
