PMQ Pizza Australia Presents:
2008 Cookbook Recipes

A little taste of the gourmet recipes submitted to PMQ’s Pizza Australia throughout the past year. Enjoy!

Special K.I.S.S. Pizza
By Brendan Spencer

I came up with the basic idea of this recipe last summer, not actually as a pizza but as a dinner idea for my french mother in-law who was staying with us at the time.As with a lot of us working in this industry, I of course usually work nights and do not often get the chance to cook dinner for my family. I found myself at home one afternoon, while my family was off elsewhere shopping, looking at a rare night off and wanting to show that I don’t just cook for other people all the time. As they were out doing the shopping we didn’t have too many options, but we did have carrots and coconut cream.These may not seem like likely partners, but carrots have a wonderful sweetness to them when cooked. It’s for this reason that we caramelise them off first before using them as a base vegetable for all our stocks.Together with chicken thighs, I grated the carrot, added the coconut cream, topped it off wrapped in prosciutto and it became a great one dish meal roasted off for a very satisfying late lunch. As you sometimes do when you come upon something that works you invariably start thinking of ways to make it even better, and as a chicken dish it was good, but I couldn’t help thinking that with prawns it would be sensational.And then as always my train of thought arrived at the same station it always does these days,“…but what if it was on a PIZZA?” Basic recipe for one 13 inch pizza

• 30 ml Napoli sauce as base (no need to ask, always make your own!)
• Fresh roquet
• About 30g-40g of good mozzarella - I use Caboolture shredded on all my pizzas
• 40g-50g grated, marinated carrot (marinated in coconut cream and OJ then squeezed dry)
• 12-13 good size, de-veined whole prawn cutlets, tail off (par-cooked in garlic and butter, add fresh chopped coriander once cool)
• 20g feta chopped small dice (add a little chili to the feta if you like a bit of a kick)
• Prosciutto, just tear it up with your hands and spread over pizza evenly. not too much as it may overpower if over used
• Seasoning and cook

After the oven, slice, add coconut sauce (too easy, just reduce coconut cream till sauce consistency), some roasted off shaved coconut and some freshly chopped coriander and mint.

Chocolate, Banana & Humbugz Honeycomb Pizza
A delightful sweet pizza great for the kids – big or small! For extra indulgence drizzle with your favourite chocolate liquor, or serve with your favourite chilled sweet wine. Makes one standard pizza – 12”

Ingredients:

• 1 Standard Pizza Dough Recipe (see attached recipe)
• 80g Nutella or similar Chocolate Spread
• 1 Large Banana
• 80g Ricotta Cheese (smooth)
• 40g Dark Chocolate Chips (or grated chocolate)
• 3 tbsp Humbugz Honeycomb
• 80g Mascarpone Cheese
• 1 tsp Icing Sugar For dusting

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
2. Roll out dough to fit lightly oiled pan (12”).
3. Mix ricotta & chocolate spread in bowl to soften (you may need to add a tablespoon of warm water to mix). Then spread over pizza base, leaving 1cm around the edge.
4. Slice the banana and place evenly over base.
5. With teaspoon drop little lumps of Humbugz Honeycomb over the pizza.
6. Dollop the mascarpone over the pizza and then sprinkle with dark chocolate chips
7. Bake for 8-12 minutes, on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and serve dusted with icing sugar.

NOTE: Substitue banana with berries of choice or cherries that have been soaked in a cherry liquore.Top with shredded coconut and proceed as above.

Cheescake and Fruit Dessert Pizza
This is a recipe supplied by Dole.While the recipe calls to use cookie dough for a base, you can also use a standard pizza base, but that just wouldn’t add the sweet decadence now would it? Following these instruction will create a sweet, fruity closing for a great meal and Dole says it will provide about 24 servings, but could easily be eated by one person… who has a sweet tooth and skipped their entrée and main courses.

Ingredients

• Prepared refrigerated cookie dough
• Cream cheese, softened
• Granulated sugar
• DOLE® Mandarin Oranges, drained
• DOLE Kiwi, peeled and sliced thin
• Dole Strawberries, halved
• Raspberries
• Mint leaves

How to Prepare

PRESS cookie dough in two 14-inch tart or pizza pans sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to form crust.
BAKE at 177C., 11 to 15 minutes or until light brown. Cool to room temperature. Remove from pans.
BEAT cream cheese and sugar in mixer bowl until smooth. Stir in 1 cup madarin oranges.
SPREAD over cookie crusts.
ARRANGE fruit and remaining mandarin oranges over cream cheese.
SLICE and garnish with mint leaves.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a great finish to any Italian meal. The Italian translation I found for tiramisu said the meaning is “carry me up” and can also be known as Tuscan Trifle and Zuppa Inglese. It normally is made from sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a liqueur, with layers of grated chocolate and mascarpone. While it can be a bit labour intensive to create, the results are something nothing less than spectacular. This particular recipe creates enough dessert for 10 servings.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 ounces Wisconsin Mascarpone Cheese
• 1 tablespoon sweet Marsala wine OR 1
• tablespoon rum* 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 18 ladyfingers
• 1 cup strong coffee or espresso, cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

How to Prepare
In a small saucepan, beat egg yolks lightly with wire whisk.Add sugar gradually; beat well.Whisk in milk until blended. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, about 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cover top with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming. Refrigerate 1 hour until cool.**

Add Mascarpone cheese to egg mixture; stir well to blend.Whisk in wine or rum. Set aside.

In a chilled non-plastic bowl, beat whipping cream at high speed, 2 to 3 minutes until stiff peaks form. Mix in vanilla. Fold half of whipped cream into egg mixture, reserving the other half.

Separate ladyfinger halves (they come split). Brush both sides of ladyfinger halves with cold coffee, using pastry brush. Place half of the ladyfingers in the bottom of an 8 inch square glass baking pan, or a similar sized bowl.

Spread half of egg and cheese mixture evenly over ladyfingers.Top with remaining ladyfingers and spread remaining egg-cheese mixture over all. Cover with reserved whipped cream. Sift cocoa powder over whipped cream topping. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

* Substitute 1/8 teaspoon rum extract mixed with 1 tablespoon of water.

** For a quicker version, mix 1/2 cup egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters, with the sugar and milk. Proceed with the recipe - no cooking required. Note: It is important to keep refrigerated before and after serving.