Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Beat the sugars with the butter until creamy. Blend the pudding, eggs, and vanilla in to mixture.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt, and blend into mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Fresh Berry Pizza Tart

1 pizza dough ball

Vanilla sugar (to taste – I use Penzey’s)

8 oz marscarpone cheese

1 tablespoon heavy cream

½ vanilla bean

1 ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (½ lemon)

2 tablespoons sugar

Fruit Compote -

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3  cup fresh blueberries

½ cup fresh blackberries

1/3 cup fresh raspberries

¼ cup strawberry jam

½ cup sugar

Preheat oven and pizza stone for one hour at 500 F.

For the compote, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the berries, jam and sugar and stir until warmed through. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the berries burst, or about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds from the inside. In a mixing bowl, combine the marscarpone, cream, vanilla seeds, lemon juice, and sugar. Set aside.

Roll out the pizza dough and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle a light coat of vanilla sugar on the dough, and place on the pre-heated stone and bake for 5 - 7 minutes, or until dough starts to crisp. Remove from the oven and spread the cheese mixture evenly on the warm crust. Drop spoonfuls of the compote on the dough (you will use about ¼ of the compote, reserving the rest for ice cream, smoothies, or other frozen treats). Place the pizza back on the stones for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese and compote starts to bubble. Let rest for 3 to 5 minutes and serve as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Soup Pizza

The idea here is to get creative with your favorite cookie or candy sweets. I opted for ¼ Peanut Butter Cups, ¼ Almond Joy, ¼ Peanut-ty M&Ms, and ¼ S’Mores. I precooked the pizza dough, and topped each quarter with toppings. I returned the pizza to the oven to finish it.

1 pizza dough ball

Vanilla sugar (to taste – I use Penzey’s)

Cinnamon Sugar (to taste)

1 tablespoon melted butter

      Toasted slivered almonds

      Sweetened coconut

      Toasted sweetened coconut

      Chocolate Chips (or plain Hershey chocolate bar pieces)

Peanut-ty M&Ms

      Cocktail Peanuts

      Plain M&Ms

S’Mores

      1 tablespoons butter

      1/3 cup crushed graham crackers

      1 tablespoon sugar

      Plain Hershey chocolate bar pieces

      Small marshmallows

Preheat oven and pizza stone for one hour at 500 F.

For S'Mores - Melt the butter in a microwave. Add the graham crackers and sugar and mix well. Set aside.

Roll out the pizza dough and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle a light coat of vanilla sugar and cinnamon sugar on the dough, and place on the pre-heated stone and bake for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with your favorite toppings.

Peanut butter cups - lightly spread plain peanut butter on the crust, and sprinkle with chocolate chips and peanuts.

For Almond Joy - Place chocolate on the crust and top with almonds and sweetened coconut. Top with toasted coconut after your remove from the oven.

For M&Ms - sprinkle plain M&Ms on the crust and top with peanuts.

For S'Mores - layer graham cracker mixture on crust. Top with chocolate and marshmallows.

Place the pizza back on the stone for about 5 - 7 minutes, or until chocolate melts, and in this case, the marshmallows brown. Let rest for 3 to 5 minutes and serve as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For Almond Joy - After toasting the almonds and coconut on a baking sheet in the oven or in a dry pan on the stove top, set aside to cool.

Peanut Butter Cups

      Peanut Butter

      Chocolate Chips (or plain Hershey chocolate bar pieces)

Cocktail Peanuts

Almond Joy