Homemade Pizza Crust

We wanted pizza tonight. So I made some homemade dough and we had fun adding toppings. It is the easiest thing. And it always turns out delicious on my pizza stones. 

Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
1 C warm water
1 T sugar
1 T Active Dry Yeast
1 t salt
3 T  canola oil
2 1/2 to 3 Cups of white flour
2-3 Cups of mozzarella cheese, grated
Pizza Sauce (I use Prego with mushrooms)
Toppings of your choice for 2 large (12 inch) pizzas
Mix up all the ingredients. 

Be sure you let the dough rest for 5 minutes,  after you mix up all the ingredients and roll it into a ball. Then drop a bit of oil on each of the stones and rub it around before placing dough on the stone. If you made a super large pizza I usually bake it for about 6 minutes first before adding any toppings or sauce to be sure the middle will cook through and not be doughy. (I use a hot oven 450).

 But if you are doing medium like 12 inch pizzas, don't worry about it. Use a pizza stone and roll out the divided dough onto 2 different stones. I used one round one and one new rectangle one I bought recently. Be sure they are oiled.

 We did one pizza in pepperoni with mushrooms and olives.

 The other one we did in canadian bacon and pineapple tidbits. Yum. That's my favorite. We left part of it just cheese pizza for the kiddos.

 Once you spread the dough out evenly all over your two pizza pans or stones, then Pour 3/4 to 1 cup Prego sauce over the pizza. Then you can add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese on each pizza and your own choice of toppings.

 Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 450 oven. When it looks ready and bubbly take it out and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it with a pizza cutter. I usually try to do 8 to 10 pieces, making some large and some small for the adults and the kids. Then dig in brutha! It's done!

Homemade Pizza is so much better than boxed pizzas from the supermarket. And it is just as good as the pizza shops make! Just be sure you use a good pizza dough recipe. That's the secret! 

Salted Caramel Samoa Cake

We had such a fun time watching the Super bowl on Sunday and having the family over for pulled pork sliders, side salads, and Salted Caramel Samoa Cake for dessert. It was so delish!

Salted Caramel Samoa Cake 

 I made a regular chocolate cake in a sheet cake pan. But I doctored it up a little with some sour cream and a small box of chocolate pudding (dry) like I always do. Then I added 1/4 cube of butter melted to the batter. It makes it have a much richer chocolate taste. But the real hero is the caramel ice cream topping in the buttercream icing. Salted Caramel Samoa Cake was an idea swiped from the Girl Scouts Samoa cookies.

Girl Scouts Samoa Cookies are a treat, but not like this Salted Caramel Samoa Cake! 

 It is made with coconut, caramel and chocolate, just like Samoa Cookies. I used caramel ice cream topping in the deliciously delectable salted icing. I was eating it by the spoonful, I swear. I still dream about how
yummy the icing was!

This Salted Caramel Donut I got from Beyond Glaze was good. But not as good as the Salted Caramel Samoa Cake. Nope. 

It kind of reminded me of this Salted Caramel donut I had recently. Super yum![/caption] The best part is  you add toasted coconut to the Salted Caramel Samoa Cake icing, then add caramel bits or melted Kraft caramels, and then drizzle warm chocolate bark or chocolate chips melted in the microwave on top. It is the yummiest of cakes. My family all raved about it. And making it in a sheet cake pan really made it go a long way. [n top of the Salted Caramel Samoa Icing It is a new favorite recipe of mine.

Toast the coconut in a non-stick pan for about 3 or 4 minutes. 

Then let the coconut cool a bit before sprinkling it all across the caramel icing. 

Here is how I did mine: I used a regular chocolate cake boxed recipe and added a cup of sour cream and a small pudding dry mix to the batter and 1/4 stick melted butter. Everything else is just as the boxed mix calls for. Then I greased a 13 x 18 one inch deep cookie sheet with Pam and poured the batter. I baked it at 375 for about 20 minutes. I bakes a lot faster because it is not a deep cake. Then I made up the icing. I got the recipe for the salted caramel buttercream from Chef in Training.

Here is her recipe for the Salted Caramel Buttercream Icing:  I tweaked the recipe slightly

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 2 cups powdered sugar (hers calls for 3 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons milk

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes to 25 minutes depending on your oven. It is a lot quicker because you are using that large sheet pan that is 1 inch deep.

Chocolate 

et cake pan that is only 1 inch deep. Chocolate cake batter made richer with sour cream and a pudding mix and some melted butter.  While it was cooling I made up the icing. Then I frosted it with the Salted Caramel icing. Oh my it is good. I kept licking the spoon and had to fight my granddaughter for the beaters.

This Salted Caramel Samoa Cake icing is so decadent and delish! I was licking the spoon AND the bowl! 

Salted Caramel Samoa Cake Icing. It is so rich and delish! Then comes the real magic. I put  1 1/2 cups of coconut into a non-stick fry pan and toasted it for about 4 minutes watching it closely and turning it over and over with a spatula. Lay it out on a plate to cool. Then sprinkle it on the top of the Salted Caramel icing

 Salted Caramel Samoa Cake
   Then I microwaved the chocolate chips for 30 seconds and added a little bit of oil to thin them. I've used chocolate bark too. Either one works well with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of canola oil to thin it. Drizzle chocolate all across the cake back and forth. Then lastly get Caramel Bits or Kraft caramels and melt them down and add a little water for drizzling. OR you can just drizzle some Caramel ice cream topping over the drizzled chocolate.  It was a great treat at the end of a Super Bowl Game to remember. Congrats to the Patriots who pulled it out at the last minute.

Salted Caramel Samoa Cake.  Now I owe my son-in-law a Snickers candy bar, since we are a betting family. And, yes, I lost the bet. :D