Happy International Pizza Pie Incident Day!

The gorgeous Penny from Jeroxie: Addictive and Consuming is hosting monthly International Food Parties (Happy Birthday my dear). I missed last month’s gnocchi party, but pulled a little something together for this month’s theme: Pizza Pie.

Being The Cake Mistress, I’m not fond of vegetables and nutrients associated with Pizza and other such meals so I wasn’t sure what to create. And what exactly is a Pizza Pie?

Wikipedia to the rescue! I was chuffed to see a Pizza Pie is a regular Pizza as we know it in Australia.

Soo…. if

Pizza = Base + Topping

It goes to follow that

Pizza = butter crust base + sugary/chocolately topping

i.e. I could go all out creating a Dessert Pizza he he he.

Throwing around a few ideas, I thought of Max Brenner’s Chocolate Pizza with the works. or maybe the healthier option and head to the Vic Markets for some fresh Autumn Fruit to make a Fruit Crumble Pie (ok, so maybe the fruit would be soaked in alcohol…) But then I stumbled across this Strawberry Galette by Martha Stewart. Add a little white chocolate to look like boconccini, plus a basil garnish, and we have ourselves a dessert Pizza Pie!

 

STRAWBERRY & BASIL GALETTE

YOU WILL NEED

Dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
250g cold unsalted butter, grated
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
Galette
3 small punnets of strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Basil Cream
3/4 cup pure cream
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

Fried Basil
2 cups vegetable oil
18 to 24 large fresh basil leaves

Sugar, for sprinkling

White chocolate Melts

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the basil cream: Combine cream, basil, and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, and stir until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 hours for a more pronounced basil flavor). Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add mascarpone, and whisk until medium peaks form. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.
2. Make the fried basil: Heat oil in a deep skillet to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry basil, a few leaves at a time, for 12 seconds. (The leaves will cause the hot oil to spatter; step away from the pan while they cook.) Drain leaves on paper towels, and let cool completely. Sprinkle both sides of the leaves with sugar. (Basil can be stored at room temperature overnight.)
3. Make the dough: Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add ice water, and pulse until just combined (dough will still be crumbly). Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out a 10-inch round, and transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Make the galette: Cut strawberries lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Reserve end pieces for another use. Toss slices with 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch, and immediately arrange them in concentric circles on dough. Start 1 inch from edge, overlapping slices slightly. Fold edge of dough over berries. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Whisk together yolk and water. Brush dough with the egg wash, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Dot berries with butter. Bake until crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
7. Transfer to a serving plate. Spread white chocolate buttons over the top while warm, to resemble buffalo cheese. Serve warm with basil cream and fried basil.

Tagged as: Cream, Fruit, Mascarpone, Strawberries, White chocolate