Dessert Pizza
Great for a party, this recipe is a trompe l'oeil. Raspberry sauce disguises itself as tomato sauce, dried strawberries as pepperoni and white chocolate plays the role of mozzarella cheese in this fruity pizza-style tart. The crust is a clever cottage cheese pastry—easy to make and low in saturated fat yet very rich and tender.
From EatingWell: March/April 1996, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)
Yield: 8 servings
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Cornmeal, for dusting
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar, divided
Toppings
- 1/2 cup Raspberry Sauce, (recipe follows)
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup dried strawberries, or dried cranberries
- 1 2-ounce block of white chocolate
Preparation
- To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Puree cottage cheese in a food processor. Add sugar, oil, milk and vanilla and process until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and pulse 4 to 5 times, just until the dough clumps together. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and press the dough into a ball. Knead several times, but do not overwork. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make Raspberry Sauce and prepare toppings.
- To assemble & bake pie: Position oven rack at the lowest level; preheat to 400°F. Coat a 12-inch pizza pan or large baking sheet with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cornmeal, shaking off excess.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Roll the dough back over a rolling pin and transfer to the prepared pizza pan or baking sheet. Finish the edges by turning them under. To glaze the border, brush it very lightly with a little milk and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar.
- Spread the crust with Raspberry Sauce; scatter pineapple, kiwi and strawberries (or cranberries) on top. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake until the crust is golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm white chocolate in the microwave on Defrost until slightly softened but not melted, 20 to 40 seconds. Grate on a vegetable grater. (If the chocolate breaks into fine shreds, rather than large ones, continue to microwave, checking every 10 seconds.)
- Sprinkle the grated chocolate over the hot pie; let stand until melted. Cut the pie into wedges; serve warm or at room temperature. makes 8 servings. per serving: 244 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 234 mg sodium.
- Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
Nutrition Per serving:
244 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 239 mg sodium; 96 mg potassium.
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 other carbohydrate, 1 1/2 fat
