eG Foodblog: Marlene Maple Leaves, Bacon & Pecans - A Canadian go

[Safran]

Now I know you're not supposed to put sprinkles on shortbreads, but I can never ever resist doing so.  Mostly because I have a lifetime supply of sprinkles I think and I'll use any excuse to use more of them up.

Oh Marlene, they look so festive!!! Are the sprinkles colored sugar?

[Marlene]

Yes, they are coloured sugar.

Ok guys, this is the interactive part. My dough recipe says to roll out the dough on a pizza pan and let it rise for 20 minutes or so. So can I do that and then build the pizza and then slide it from the pan onto the stone? Am I looking at disaster here?

[Safran]

Oh Oh.  I don't have a pizza peel.  Now how am I going to get the damn thing onto the stone?

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Actually, simply invert a cookie sheet and use that. Add a bit of flour or cornmeal, put your rolled pizza dough on it, dress it quickly and slip it on to the stone.One good wrist shot should do it.

[little ms foodie]

Oh Oh.  I don't have a pizza peel.  Now how am I going to get the damn thing onto the stone?

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The first time we made pizza we didn't have one either, it is tougher but you can do it!

Do you have any smallish cutting board that could work? We had a plastic one from Ikea that we used, not the best but it worked in a pinch.

If not try using a small sheet pan, upside down with some cornmeal on it.

[SobaAddict70]

Oh Oh.  I don't have a pizza peel.  Now how am I going to get the damn thing onto the stone?

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Google to the rescue...again

Soba

[little ms foodie]

GREAT MINDS..........

[mjr_inthegardens]

I put ketchup on French toast, but call it Eggybread.

Was raised in England which might explain.

[Marlene]

Oh Oh.  I don't have a pizza peel.  Now how am I going to get the damn thing onto the stone?

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Google to the rescue...again

Soba

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Thank you Soba. I'm far to busy blogging and cooking to google

Aha! I see I put the dough on the stone first and then build it. Of course that makes perfect sense. Duh.

I have a cutting board, a round one even. Rolling this into a circle should be fun. This is the girl who can make a circle look like a square and can't draw or cut a straight line to save her life. No matter. The bread machine is on. I'm going to clean up my kitchen and then I'm going to have an eggnog.

[little ms foodie]

Our pizza's are never a perfect round, it's more fun to have a shape anyway!

We have our pizza stone in the oven preheating and then build our pizza on the peel (or something else) and slide it onto the stone in the oven.

[Anna N]

If you have a splatter screen, just tear off a hunk of parchment paper and cover it. Wrap the paper willy-nilly around the handle so you can hold onto the screen and the parchment. Put your shaped dough on there and then it is easy to slide it onto the hot stone. Make sure, just before you transfer it, that the dough moves easily on the parchment. If you don't have a splatter screen then it should work just as well on the bottom side of a very large skillet. That is my peel.

[Marlene]

If you have a splatter screen, just tear off a hunk of parchment paper and cover it.  Wrap the paper willy-nilly around the handle so you can hold onto the screen and the parchment.  Put your shaped dough on there and then it is easy to slide it onto the hot stone.  Make sure, just before you transfer it, that the dough moves easily on the parchment.  If you don't have a splatter screen then it should work just as well on the bottom side of a very large skillet.  That is my peel.

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Now here is a brilliant idea! I do have a splatter screen!

[reesek]

that is a great idea...i definitely wouldn't suggest making the pizza directly on the stone because you want the stone to be blazing hot and don't want to let any of the heat out of the oven either.

so what are your toppings? when i was 12 i was mushroom and pepperoni, keep those ick onions away. now - as long as i've got thinly sliced onions - i couldn't care less what's on it!

[Rachel Perlow]

Aha!  I see I put the dough on the stone first and then build it.  Of course that makes perfect sense. Duh.

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I'm glad you saw the part about the splatter screen as peel, because the stone should be in your oven as it heats (and then let it heat longer than usual). You can't build the pizze on the stone.

[Marlene]

While I wait for the dough to be finished, I've chopped some green peppers, sliced the pepperoni, and sliced some pinapple. (those are the only things Ryan will let me put on this one and he's pretty dubious about this whole experiment anyway).

In the meantime, I've set one chicken to brining per Dave's recipe. It's to brine for three hours then soak in buttermilk overnight. Does one put the chicken in the fridge when it's brining?

Brooks' chicken recipe calls for the chicken to soak in ice water and baking poweder for several hours, so I'll do that first thing in the morning.

They both have different seasonings, so I'll be making those up tonight. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to do both recipes at once, deep frying and skillet frying, but I like a good challenge. Of course we're going to have way more chicken than we can possibly eat, but who cares? I can make a pan gravy from the skillet drippings to go with the mashed potatoes, and if I have enough hands, I'll make biscuts as well. Let the cook off begin

[Marlene]

Aha!  I see I put the dough on the stone first and then build it.   Of course that makes perfect sense. Duh.

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I'm glad you saw the part about the splatter screen as peel, because the stone should be in your oven as it heats (and then let it heat longer than usual). You can't build the pizze on the stone.

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Well then it's highly possible, that cleaning my oven will be on my to do list tomorrow, but this is going to be fun!

[snowangel]

Brooks' chicken recipe calls for the chicken to soak in ice water and baking poweder for several hours, so I'll do that first thing in the morning. 

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I would just stick it out in the garage. It's too cold right now on the deck.

So, you don't have a pizza peel. Many great suggestions have been offered; I use a cushionare cookie sheet that I hate for anything else (it doesn't have sides, but that's not why I hate it). Just see how much money we have saved you? No need for a pizza peel!

[robyn]

I agree about peanut oil as a great choice, though I wouldn't call it cheap, except in comparison to the even more desirable grapeseed oil.

I won't comment on greens, though I love this techinique (is chiffonade the term you were looking for?). Call me a pariah, but I'm not a fan of the long-simmered variety.

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If you're a pariah - you have company. I cook my greens for one hour (per the recipe in Bill Neal's Southern Cooking - I may not be an expert but Bill Neal was). BTW - since collards are cheap and plentiful this time of year - no reason one can't toss those outside leaves which resemble shoe leather. Robyn

[momlovestocook]

Hi

Why not make more than one pizza???

When I make pizza dough, I have the kids make thier own(5 and 7). The back of a cookie sheet makes a great peel. Put a little cornmeal on the sheet, put the dough on(roll it on the counter), top and slide onto the stone. They cook faster than a big pizza and everyone can have what they like on top. I'm usually making one while one is cooking.

Sandra

[Pan]

[....]

I asked Don last night if he liked Pecan Pie.  His response?  "Sure, - without the pecans". 

[...]

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If you decide you'd rather make something Don will like, consider shoo fly pie. Here are some results for a Google search of "shoo-fly pie recipe"

[Marlene]

Hi

Why not make more than one pizza???

When I make pizza dough, I have the kids make thier own(5 and 7).  The back of a cookie sheet makes a great peel.  Put a little cornmeal on the sheet, put the dough on(roll it on the counter), top and slide onto the stone.  They cook faster than a big pizza and everyone can have what they like on top.  I'm usually making one while one is cooking.

Sandra

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I'm having enough trouble concentrating on getting one right . If this turns out at all, I'll consider branching out and making two or more at the same time.

[....]

I asked Don last night if he liked Pecan Pie.  His response?  "Sure, - without the pecans".  

[...]

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If you decide you'd rather make something Don will like, consider shoo fly pie. Here are some results for a Google search of "shoo-fly pie recipe"

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Interesting thought Pan, thanks!

[Priscilla]

In the meantime, I've set one chicken to brining per Dave's recipe.

[...]

Brooks' chicken recipe calls for the chicken to soak in ice water and baking poweder for several hours, so I'll do that first thing in the morning.

Are DtheC's and MM's chicken recipes here on the site somewheres?

Hope the pizza's a big success, Marlene! A very satisfying thing to make yourself.

[Marlene]

I did it! I did it! I did it! Success!

First, this is my breadmaker. I love this model. I've had others, including a Black and Decker, but I always come back to this one.

Ryan has put the toppings on

Then cheese and a "happy face"

Voila, Pizza!

For me, pizza has always been something one ordered. I even tossed the dough a little bit here. Fortunately, no one was looking!

The next time, I'd make the crust a little thinner, but I like a thin crust pizza. Again, I did this in a convection oven at 300 and it took about 15 minutes to cook. The crust was crispy and absolutely perfect. It got a little well done in some spots on the crust, but who's complaining. Anna, that splatter screen tip was pure gold! I'm amazed at myself.

Thanks all!

Just wait till tomorrow's experiments!

[Pan]

That pepperoni smiley face is cute.

[bloviatrix]

The pizza looks great.

How long until Ryan declares he's hungry again?

[Marlene]

Oh well, I give it 20 minutes or so. He had a chocolate bar for "dessert" or half a bar anyway. Sigh.