Serves: 8 or more
Ingredients: Resource from www.delish.com
1 lb. refrigerated pizza dough (store bought or make from scratch – recipe below)
Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water)
7 mozzarella sticks or cubes from a mozzarella cheese block
1/4 c. melted butter
1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. Thinly sliced basil, fresh or 1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp. chopped parsley, fresh or 1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary, fresh
Mini tomatoes, optional
Marinara sauce, warmed (for serving)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut mozzarella sticks into 1” pieces and set aside.
On a floured surface, divide pizza dough into two pieces. Stretch and roll each piece of dough into a long rectangle, then cut dough into 2” squares (you’ll need 33 total).
Wrap a dough square around each piece of mozzarella, forming a tightly sealed ball. Place balls seam-side down on the baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree (they should be touching). Brush egg wash on dough balls and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
If using, saute tomatoes over medium heat in a 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet until skins are wrinkled and cooked. These will be added to the tree as ornaments once pizza balls are cooked.
Whisk together melted butter, Parmesan and herbs. Brush on baked pizza balls. Serve warm with marinara for dipping.
Pizza Dough Recipe:
Ingredients: Resource from www.ricardocuisine.com
1 cup (250 ml) warm water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) instant yeast
1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar
2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
Preparation:
In a bowl, combine the water, yeast and sugar. Let stand until the mixture foams on top, about 5 minutes.
In a food processor, it is important to work with the plastic blade or the dough hook. Combine the flour and salt. Increase the speed to medium and add the yeast mixture until a soft ball forms.
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for a few minutes on a floured surface to prevent sticking.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes in warm and draft-free area. Cut the dough in half.
Use the pizza dough immediately or refrigerate it (less than 48 hours), otherwise place it in an airtight bag and freeze.
This recipe will make two 23-cm (9-inch) thin-crust pizzas or two 20-cm (8-inch) thicker crust pizzas.