My amazing husband and I have been married for 10 years. Each year on Valentine’s Day, my spouse treats me to dinner at a wonderful restaurant. The only problem with this annual plan is crowd control. Many other local couples always have the same idea on this most romantic day of the year that we have. If you can relate to this scenario, why not reserve your Valentine’s Day restaurant now? Many eateries take reservations for this special occasion early. Therefore, when you arrive at your destination, you can be seated and served your delicious food quickly. On this blog, you will learn the many benefits of making reservations at your favorite restaurant for Valentine’s Day.
Reserve Your Valentine’s Day Restaurant Today
Celebrate Spring With A Strawberry Pizza
Nora Harper
One of the best ways to celebrate the start of spring is by eating some spring food. For a special treat this spring, try making a strawberry pizza. It is a great treat to bring to a springtime barbecue or picnic.
The Crust
The crust of this strawberry pizza is basically one giant cookie. You have two options when it comes to the crust.
You can choose to make the homemade crust recipe given below, or you can purchase pre-made cookie dough from the store, and use that instead. If you are short on time, purchasing pre-made cookie dough will cut the prep time for this strawberry pizza in half. With pre-made cookie dough, you can skip to steps 6 and 7 below.
Homemade Crust Recipe
1.Before you get going, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. That way, it will be ready when you are.
2.If you have a tart pan, which is essentially a cookie sheet with sides, take that out and spray it with non-stick spray. If you don't have a tart pan, you can use a regular cookie sheet.
3.In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine together 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup chopped pecans, ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon salt. If the pecans you purchased are not already chopped, you can throw them into your food processor for about thirty seconds. Set the bowl aside.
4.In a large bowl, add 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. It will be easier to mix these two ingredients together if the butter is softened. Use a mixer to whip the butter and brown sugar together for about five minutes. The mixture should be creamy and fluffy.
5.Pour about half the flour mixture into the bowl with the butter and brown sugar. Use the mixer to combine the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Once it is combined, add in the second half of the flour and stir until everything is combined.
6.If you have a tart pan, spread the dough evenly across the bottom, all the way up to the sides of the pan. If you are using a regular cookie sheet, spread the cookie dough out into a ten or eleven inch wide circle.
7.Bake the cookie crust for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The edges should be just slightly brown.
The Sauce & Glaze
As the crust is baking, you can put away all the ingredients used to create the crust, and start preparing the toppings. You will need to prepare a mascarpone mixture for the pizza sauce, and you will create a glaze for the strawberry topping.
The Sauce
In a small bowl, mix together 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese, ½ cup of powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract using a mixer. It will only take about one minute of mixing to great a fluffy mixture.
The Glaze
1.In a small bowl, use a whisk to mix together ½ cup of strawberry preserves and ¼ cup of orange juice. Once the ingredients are whisked together, pour them into a small pot.
2.Place the small pot on the stove and turn the heat up to medium.
3.Once the mixture starts to boil, allow it do so for one minute. The mixture will start to get a little think and look more like a glaze. After a minute has passed, turned off the heat and place the pot somewhere where it can cool off for about ten to fifteen minutes.
4.Clean the pound of strawberries and slice them up. You can go with thick or thin strawberry slices, or even a mixture. Add the strawberries to the glaze and mix together.
The Assembly
Let the cookie cool off before you add the toppings. If you add the toppings to the cookie crust when it is still hot, everything will melt and you'll have a big mess on your hands. The cookie should be cool to the touch before you add the toppings.
First, spread the mascarpone mixture over the cookie crust using a spatula. Then, distribute the glazed strawberries evenly over the top of the mascarpone sauce.
Place the whole strawberry cookie pizza in the fridge for an hour. This will allow all the ingredients to cool off and come together. Then pull it out of the fridge, slice and enjoy! For other great pizzas, look to a local pizza shop like O J's Steak & Pizza for takeout.
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