American Style: Deep Pan Pizza (Egg Free with Wheat Free Option)

Looking for a hearty, comforting dinner? Why not try this recipe for deep pan pizza! (It comes with my fiancé's approval, as seen below)

Autumn and Winter are full of party occasions and opportunities: in my family, even without the traditional holiday events, there are three birthdays in October and November. This time of year is a real season of festive eating!

When we were kids, we had normal kids' party food at all these kinds of occasions: sausage rolls, cocktail sausages, chips, and either hamburgers, or pizza. In the 1990s, supermarkets where I lived began to stock cook-from-frozen pizzas, and normally they had big, fluffy bread bases. I didn't see a thin and crispy based pizza until I was in my mid-late teens.

The most commonly eaten brand was Goodfellas, but there were many others, including supermarket own branded pizzas. I have very fond associations with thick based pizzas, even though when I eat shop bought ones now my adult taste buds aren't able to taste what was so amazing to my childhood taste buds....

I've been meaning to try a deep pan pizza for a very long time: I popped it on my list of projects to try about this time last year, I just never had the opportunity to try it. I was reminded to try it when I was watching Chef John's Detroit style pizza video on Youtube earlier last week.

My pizza differs from his, insofar as it's just a regular (well, what I consider regular) pizza with a thicker base. I use a completely different dough recipe to his, and different toppings. But, I was inspired by his idea to rise the bread dough in the tin it will be cooked in, rather than in a bowl.

DIFFICULTY

Intermediate


INGREDIMENTS

For the bread dough

6 fluid ounces (170 millilitres) warm water

One ¼ ounce (7 gramme) sachet of dry active yeast

1 tablespoon (15 grammes) caster sugar

½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) salt

1 ounce (30 grammes) light olive oil, or sunflower oil

12 ounces (340 grammes) plain flour: wheat or spelt

½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking powder

For the topping

Roughly 5 or 6 tablespoons (2½ or 3 fluid ounces; 75 or 90 millilitres) tomato pasta sauce, with herbs and garlic

Pinch of sugar

Salt and black pepper

Roughly 4 or 5 ounces (115 to 140 grammes) grated mozzarella cheese

Sliced meat of your choice: pepperoni, salami, ham, chicken, sausage, etc.

Thinly sliced vegetables of your choice: pepper, tomato, mushroom, courgette, etc.

HOW-TO

• Grease a 9 by 7 inch (23 by 18 centimetre) deep baking tin with a tablepoon (15 millilitres) of sunflower or light olive oil. Set aside for later
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the yeast, sugar, oil, and warm water together. Add in about half of the flour and mix into a sticky paste. Cover, and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size and very spongy in appearance.
• Once risen, tap the bowl sharply on the counter top to release the air. Sieve in the half of the remaining flour, the baking powder, and salt and mix together with a wooden spoon until combined.
• Sprinkle some of the remaining flour on the work surface, scrape out the dough in the bowl, and sprinkle some more flour on top. Knead the dough, adding flour only if you need to, until you have a smooth, tacky dough. You may not need all the flour, so don't add it all in at the beginning.
• Knead the dough for a good 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Press the dough into the bottom of your oiled tin and allow to rise for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in size once more.
• Once it has doubled, press the air out with floured hands and spread the tomato sauce on top, leaving a half-inch (1 centimetre) border around the edge of the pizza. Decorate with your toppings.
• Set the oven to preheat to 190°C (375°F, Gas Mk.5) and allow the pizza to puff slightly while the oven is heating. Once the oven is hot enough, bake the pizza on the centre shelf for 30 to 25 minutes. If the toppings are browning too fast, cover the pizza with a piece of tin foil.
• When fully cooked, remove from the oven and gently transfer the pizza to a wire rack. This will stop the crust from getting soggy with condensation.
• Serve hot from the oven with side salad, or chips.

Buon Natale! Orange Amaretti: Italian Almond Macaroons (Gluten- and Dairy Free)

And thus, our Advent-ure (get it?) around Central Europe will begin with a trip to Italy! Here is my take on a simple Italian seasonal treat: amaretti, with a hint of orange!

Essentially, an amaretto is an almond macaroon and a lot of Central European countries have a version of nut macaroons and coconut macaroons. In Germany, there are kokosmakronen (coconut), mandelmakronen (almond), and haselnussmakronen (hazelnut); in France, you have the iconic macarons, which are much more delicate and technical than its cousins in other countries; and in Hungary, there are kókuszcsók (coconut). Here in Ireland, coconut macaroons are definitely more popular than the almond variety.

Making amaretti doesn't really need a recipe, as it's just a combination of egg whites, sugar, and almonds. To make them, simply make a stiff meringue with 3 ounces (85 grammes) of caster sugar for each medium (US large) egg white. Add in orange zest and almond essence to taste, and enough orange food colouring gel to get a nice pastel shade, and then fold in 3 ounces (85 grammes) of ground almonds for each egg white.

Fit a disposable piping bag with a half-inch (1 centimetre) round nozzle, and fill the bag with the mixture. Pipe the biscuits onto non-stick paper lined baking sheets, making each biscuit into a mound about an inch or so tall and wide.

Bake in an oven preheated to 150°C (300°F, Gas Mk.2) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are crisp and dry to the touch. Allow to cool slightly on the trays before gently peeling off and tranferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with a little icing sugar to serve.

These keep very well in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Ice-Cream Month: Tiramisù Ice-Cream (Wheat Free)

Ti piace il gelato? Hai un gelato tiramisico!

 

Granted, this isn't actually proper gelato, but I love me some tiramisù! I've made a few tiramisù inspired desserts on this blog, mostly involving cheesecakes, because it's one of my favourite muses: the combination of cheesecake-like cream, sponge cake, coffee and chocolate is just right for me. It's a decadent creamy treat, with a kick.

I first made tiramisù inspired ice-cream about four years ago for a Dutch friend, but it never made it to the blog because we ate it all. So, in honour of Ice-Cream Month, I thought I'd make it again.

This one went a bit pear shaped because the cream didn't whip up right for me this time: I think my ingredients were too warm. It still tasted amazing, but didn't layer and swirl as well as I might have liked. As such, I will reiterate that it's imperative that your ingredients are all cold! That way you'll get lovely fluffsome ice-cream that'll stay super soft in the freezer.

This also uses some yoghurt for sourness, and mixed in equal proportions with icing sugar it can replace some of the condensed milk in your recipe. Although, to maintain the silky texture, never replace more than half of the condensed milk.

INGREDIMENTS
Makes about 2 pints (about a litre) of ice-cream

For the ice-cream base

• 16 UK fluid ounces (455 millilitres) whipping cream
• 10 UK fluid ounces (285 millilitres) condensed milk
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) Greek yoghurt
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) instant espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence

To assemble,

• 1 medium egg, separated
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) caster sugar
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) white spelt flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) sunflower oil
• Chocolate syrup, for assembly
• Optional: white rum, for sprinkling

Instead of making sponge cakes, you can just use shop-bought trifle sponges. I make my own because I can't buy wheat-free trifle sponges in Ireland.

METHOD

First, make the sponge cakes.

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, Gas Mk.7), and line a flat tray with non-stick baking paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add in the sugar while beating until you have a glossy meringue that holds stiff peaks.
• Beat in the yolk and oil, then switch to a metal spoon to fold in the flour. Be sure to fold it in completely.
• Spoon little blobs of cake mixture onto the baking paper, tap the tray on the work surface a few times, and then bake on the centre shelf of the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The cakes will be done when they are an even golden brown, and springy to the touch.
• Allow to cool completely before assembling the ice-cream. If you like, you can sprinkle them gently with some white rum, but this is completely optional.

Then, make the ice-cream base.

• In a measuring jug big enough to hold a UK pint (570 millilitres), mix together the Greek yoghurt and icing sugar until it becomes flowing and smooth. Top up the yoghurt mixture up to 12 UK fluid ounces (340 millilitres) with condensed milk. You might have some condensed milk leftover, so use that for another project.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the yoghurt and condensed milk mixture and the vanilla essence, then continue to beat until it hold medium peaks.
• Divide the mixture in two: leave one part plain, and into the other part fold the espresso powder.

Now, assemble the masterpiece.

• In a two-pint (1 litre) pudding basin, layer the ice-cream bases with crumbled cakes and chocolate syrup as you want. Once layered, swirl with a knife to marble the layers, and then decorate the top with more crumbled cake and chocolate syrup.
• Cover with the lid or some cling film and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Variation on a Theme: Pepperoni, Mozarella, and Spinach Quiche

Got leftover pizza toppings and eggs in the fridge? Why, make a quiche of course!

A few weeks ago, I made my first ever quiche and became a convert: who'd have thought that an omelette in an edible plate of pastry would be so delicious? And also, who'd have thought that--like and omelette--they're great for using up stuff in the fridge.

The other night, my companion and I had a pizza, and I had some leftover pepperoni, mozzarella, and spinach. So, I just cooked up the leftover pepperoni, about 2 ounces (55 grammes) worth, and a few handfuls of spinach with half a red onion, chopped finely, and then scattered it into the pre-baked 9 inch pastry crust along with a few handfuls of mozzarella. I know these measurements aren't really exact, but quiche filling isn't an exact science!

I used three medium eggs in the filling, mixed with twice as much (in weight) milk, for the filling. I replaced about an ounce (30 grammes) of the milk with some yoghurt for extra interest. After adding salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste, I poured it over the filling in the pastry case before topping off with some grated cheddar for added crustification (which is now a word thanks to Chef John of Food Wishes).

I baked the quiche for about 40 minutes at 180°C (350°F, Gas Mk.4), until it was puffed and golden. Because I cooked this the night before for my companion to enjoy the next day while I wasn't around, I didn't have any; but I have it on his good authority that it was very, very tasty indeed!

THIS TIME IN 2015: Peppermint Ice (Totally not a rip off of Kendal Mint Cake at all. I promise)
No blogs on this day in 2016, 2014, or 2013

Photographs by SilverBolt

Shrove Tuesday: "Crepelloni", Italitan Style Spinach and Cheese Rolls with Tomato Sauce (Vegetarian Friendly)

This is the last weekend before Lent, and that means only one thing: Shrove Tuesday is just around the corner! So to mark the occasion, I will be sharing a variety of recipes to try out this year. Starting with this one: Italian style 'Crepelloni'!

Here in Ireland, we celebrate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes, as such it's mostly called Pancake Tuesday. We generally speaking eat crêpe style pancakes, not American style thick pancakes (drop scones), and they work for sweet or savoury toppings. They are particularly nice with lemon juice and sugar, which is traditional in Ireland and Great Britain, for sure.

According to my mother, and her mother, and probably her mother too, to make pancakes you use quarter of a pound of flour, half a (UK) pint of milk, and an egg (which is 115 grammes, 285 millilitres, and an egg). So, that is how I've always made them for my whole life, and they've never done me wrong.

However, I thought I'd do something a little different this year, which is inspired greatly by the work of Delia Smith. On one of her cookery programmes from 20 odd years ago, Delia made some Italian cannelloni using pancakes rather than traditional tube pasta (in more recent books and programmes, she uses cooked lasagne sheets), and it works really well. When I tried to find a reference for the book or programme, I couldn't find the original publication, but I did find that a few other people have tried this and written about it. The only reference I could find is a 21 year old newspaper article from the British Independent.

There are so many things you could put in these, but this time I went for something vegetarian. Spinach and soft cheese filling with tomato sauce is one of my all time favourite Italian combinations, and good for veggie boys and girls, it contains no meat whatsoever.

This means you can have pancakes for breakfast and dinner on Shrove Tuesday!

INGREDIMENTS
Makes 6 cannelloni

• 4 ounces (155 grammes) white spelt flour
• ½ UK pint (1¼ cups, 285 millilitres) milk, or milk alternative
• 1 egg, medium or large
• Butter, or margarine, for frying

For the filling and sauce,

• 6 ounces (170 grammes) spinach, cooked and finely cut
• 8 ounces (225 grammes) soft low fat cheese, such as ricotta, cottage cheese, or quark
• 1 medium egg
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) grated mozzarella
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 or so ounces (225 grammes) tomato pasta sauce of your liking
• Grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese, for topping
• Butter, or margarine, for greasing

HOW-TO

First, make the crepes,

• In a mixing bowl, sieve the flour and make a well in the centre. Add the egg, and then mix in the milk a little at a time using a wire whisk until all the milk is added, making sure to mix well after each addition to get rid of any lumps.
• Allow to the batter to sit on the work surface for about half an hour to relax.
• When you want to fry them, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add about quarter of a teaspoon of butter, or margarine, and swirl it around the pan until it has melted.
• Add about a third of a cup (85 millilitres) of batter to the pan and swirl it around the cover the base of the pan. Cook for about 45 seconds to a minute, until the top is dry and set, and underneath is lightly browned
• Flip the pancake, and cook for a further 45 seconds to a minute, until it has browned also.
• Continue cooking the pancakes until you have used all the batter. You should get about 6 or 7 large pancakes.

To complete the dish,

• Grease a 6x8 inch (15x20 centimetre) baking dish lightly, and preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, Gas Mk.6).
• In a mixing bowl, mix all the spinach, soft cheese, egg, and grated mozzarella until smooth and well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper (you can skip this if you have a problem with eating raw egg).
• Take a pancake, place a sixth of the filling in the middle. Fold in the sides a little, then roll the pancake around the filling to make a parcel.
• Repeat this with six pancakes in total, then place the rolls in the dish. Pour as much sauce as you like on top of the the rolls, then top off with the cheeses to your liking.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the level of crispiness you want on top, then serve hot in warmed pasta bowls, or plates.

THIS TIME IN 2016: No blog

THIS TIME IN 2015: Doing Filming for Community Documentary: Be Back When Work Is Less Mental

THIS TIME IN 2014: No blog

Stracciatella Ice-Cream (Egg- and Wheat Free)

Here's the second half of my ice-cream adventures, started last week.

The few weeks ago Lidl was flogging off a load of vanilla pods because they didn't sell well. As such I was picking up double packs of vanilla pods for €1.75 each, as opposed to the usual €6-per-pod craic that Tesco and Dunnes subscribe to. Vanilla pods are very useful for making really natural tasting custard, ice-cream, homemade vanilla essence and spiced rum.

However, immediately after buying them I began packing to move house and baking was not high on my list of priorities. As such I forgot about them, until I unpacked last week.

I decided to make myself some nice proper vanilla ice-cream using vanilla pods instead of essence, and it was fantastic. In its raw form the flavour isn't very strong, but as it freezes overnight the flavour intensifies and in the morning I had SUPER VANILLA ice-cream. It was very tasty, 'was' being the operative word in the sentence.

I now have a load of vanilla sugar brewing away in the press, using the leftover pods when I scraped the seeds out, which is great way of using up the pods instead of throwing them out.

Expect a lot of vanilla themed recipes over the coming weeks.

But back to this recipe. Stracciatella is basically chocolate chip vanilla ice-cream in Italy, and it made by drizzling melted chocolate into the churn while it it running. On contact with the ice-cream, the chocolate freezes and shatters in the blades of the churn, leading to ice-cream that is packed full of tiny chocolate shards. In the absence of an ice-cream churn, I turn to what I refer to as StraCHEATella (smirk), where I basically smash a Flake bar and use the crumbled goodness to simulate the chips.

FREE FROM
☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Gluten
☑ Wheat
☑ Eggs
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Dairy
☒ Refined sugar products
☒ Cocoa (yes, I thought I'd contain it because I was allergic to cocoa for a time)

INGREDIMENTS

• 8 fluid ounces (225 millilitres, 1 US cup) whipping cream, 35%-40% fat content
• 6 fluid ounces (170 millilitres, ¾ US cup) condensed milk
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Flake bar

HOW-TO

• On a chopping board, split the vanilla pod down the middle and scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of the knife.
• In a large mixing bowl, pour the condensed milk and stir in the salt and vanilla pod seeds (or the vanilla essence). Pour in the cream, while stirring, then stir until it is all combined.
• Using an electric hand mixer, whisk until it is light and a soft-peak consistency. You want to to look and feel like mousse, basically.
• Pour into a 2 pint (560 millilitre, 2½ US cup) pudding mould with a lid (or you can use a loaf tin and cover with cling film) and smooth out the surface. Cover and freeze for 6 hours, preferably overnight.
• Allow to temper for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve as a sundae with syrups, sprinkles and other nice things, on its own, or with cake.

This would ice-cream is very tasty when used in making an affogato, an Italian dessert where a single scoop of (traditionally) vanilla ice-cream is put into a cappucino mug, a double shot of espresso is poured over, and the whole lot is dusted with a little cocoa powder.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR: Fruit and Nut Flapjacks