Max Brenner's Dessert Pizza

from sweetandcrumbly.com

Max Brenner is a restaurant in New York that has the BEST desserts i've ever had!  Their menu is about as long as Cheesecake Factory's, but alllll desserts! This recipe is adapted from their dessert.  It.  Is.  Amazing. 

I N G R E D I E N T S
--for the crust--

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• --for the pizza top--
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread, Nutella
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

D I R E C T I O N S

--for the dough--

mix the water and yeast in your mixing bowl and let stand for a few minutes until the yeast dissolves.   (mix it gently with a rubber spatula if it doesn’t fully dissolve.)  add the flour, salt, and sugar into the bowl, then add the melted butter.  if you have a stand mixer, use your dough hook to combine the ingredients on the lowest setting. you can turn it to medium once the ingredients are semi-combined. [if you just have hands, then combine ingredients with your spatula.] make sure to incorporate any loose flour hanging out in the bottom and sides of the bowl. your dough will take a few minutes to come together. if it’s just too dry to come together, add 1 extra teaspoon of water (up to 3 extra teaspoons, one at a time while it mixes). i usually just make sure to scrape out the last bits of butter and drizzle a few extra drops of water into the bowl. you don’t want it sticky or wet, but you do need it to form a ball.

Once it’s in the ball form, knead it for one minute on a floured surface. place the dough into a butter greased bowl, big enough for the dough to double in size. cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm spot in your kitchen. it should almost double. 

ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR DOUGH...

1. Position the oven rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450° F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Roll the dough onto a floured pastry board into a 9-inch round. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet (I usually wrap my pizza dough around the rolling pin and then gently unwrap it on the baking sheet). Using your fingers, make indentations all over the dough. Brush with the melted butter. Bake until the crust is slightly crisp and pale golden brown, about 20 minutes (mine took only 15).

3. Immediately spread the Nutella over the pizza, then sprinkle with the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Bake until the chocolate just begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Broil for 30 seconds to one minute until marshmallows toast. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT LEAVE THE OVEN UNATTENDED for even 2 seconds at this point because it can turn from beautifully toasted marshmallows to charred chalk outline of once delicious looking chocolate pizza. My oven cooks unevenly so I acutally spin the cookie sheet 180° half way through the broiling process. Equally important…keep the pizza on one of the lower racks in your oven during the broiling time…otherwise…again black and crispy pizza.

4. Cut the pizza into wedges.

S'mores Brownies

from theberry.com

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 1 packet brownie mix (i used betty crocker's dark chocolate brownies)
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows 
• 4 graham crackers, cut into chunks
• 2 hershey's dark chocolate bars, broken into pieces

D I R E C T I O N S 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray 9×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the box (or use your favorite homemade recipe) using the oil, egg, and water.

After baking, remove the pan from the oven and set the oven to broil at 500-550 F.

Cool brownies for about a minute then sprinkle the marshmallows over the warm brownies. Make sure to cover most of the area. Sprinkle the graham crackers on top of the marshmallows. Broil about 4-5 inches from the heat for 30 seconds to a minute until the marshmallows are golden brown. Watch carefully so that they don’t burn. Sprinkle with Hershey’s milk chocolate bars.

Yield: 16 brownies.

--i found that the brownies were even better after letting them set for a day!

Create your own Pizzas

crust from thepioneerwoman.com

I love pizza.  Any kind, any time, anywhere, I will want pizza.  I made two different kinds, one kind for me and one for my husband.

I N G R E D I E N T S
--for the crust--

• 1 scant tsp. active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 tbsp. olive oil

D I R E C T I O N S

1.  combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl.  allow it to sit for ten minutes, or until you can see the yeast bubbling and coming alive.

2.  add the flour to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

3.  sprinkle in the salt.

4.  turn the mixer on low, then slowly pour in the olive oil.

5.  finally, pour in the yeast/water mixture.

6.  stop mixing when everything comes together.  transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  allow the dough to rise 1 hour before using.

T O P P I N G S 
mozzarella cheese
tomato sauce
pepperoni slices
sweet baby ray's bbq sauce
 red onions, sliced
pineapple
shredded chicken

Salted Twisted Soft Pretzels

recipe from Alton Brown, foodnetwork.com

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110-115 degrees F) water
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
• vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten + 1 tbsp. water
• salt

D I R E C T I O N S

--Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

--Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

--Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

--In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

--Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Biscoff Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

from confessionsofabakingqueen.com

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 14 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg + egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 ish cups biscoff spread
• sea salt for garnishing

D I R E C T I O N S

--preheat oven to 325F and if using- line your baking sheet with a silpat liner. 

--whisk the flour and baking soda together and set aside. to brown the butter cook 10 tbsp of butter over low to medium heat. swirl it every so often. the process will take around 5 minutes. 

--continue cooking the butter until you get a nutty aroma. the scent is nutty yet caramel-y. 

pour the brown butter into the bowl of an electric mixer or a heatproof bowl. mix in the last 4 tablespoons of butter. mix until completely dissolved in the brown butter. 

--add in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla. add egg and egg yolk mix unitl fully combine about 30 seconds. let sit for 3 minutes and mix for 30 seconds again. repeat the process 2 more times. 

--mix in the flour mixture until fully combined. fold in chocolate chips. 

--scoop 2 tbsp or so of dough and roll it into a ball. stick your finger in it to make a hole. fill the hole with 1 tsp of biscoff and fold the rest of the dough around the biscoff. 

--sprinkle your desired amount of sea salt on each cookie. 

--bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown but still look a bit under cooked.

Homemade Chinese Food Takeout

Orange Shrimp
from omgilovetocook.com

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• --for the sauce--
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup orange juice or blood orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch + 2 tbsp. water

D I R E C T I O N S

--place shrimp on heated grill (outdoor or indoor).  season them with black pepper and grill until cooked.  Place on plate and cover to keep warm.

--for the sauce:  combine soy sauce, ketchup, orange juice, honey, vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.

--add the grilled shrimp to a pan over medium high heat.  add the prepared sauce to the pan and stir well.  add the cornstarch and water.

--reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

--sprinkle more red pepper flakes over the top if desired and serve.

Fried Rice
from rachelschultz.com 

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 3 cups white rice, prepared
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

D I R E C T I O N S

--prepare rice according to package instructions to make 3 cups cooked rice.

--heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add onion, garlic, peas and carrots.  --stir fry until tender.

--crack eggs and scramble in the skillet, mixing throughout the veggies.

--add the rice to the pan, and then pour in the soy sauce.  stir around then take off heat.  and EAT.