Out of School Party

Fun. Fun. Fun. Last May our class was a presentation of ideas for graduation/out of school get togethers. Table decor ideas can be simple with beach towels for table cloths, helium balloons coming out of beach buckets filled with treats. Don't forget sea shells, sunglasses and flip flops scattered about the table as well. Each person can make their own homemade "beach" frame with a some cheap shells and a little glue. We talked about how great pizza stones can be for a delicious homemade pizza, and how you can find them at grocery stores for relatively inexpensive. Homemade Pizza (This dough recipe makes enough for three 12 inch pizzas. Store bought dough works just great) Basic Pizza Dough: 4 ½ cups flour, plus extra for the counter 1 envelope (or 2 ¼ tsps) instant or rapid-rise yeast 1 ½ tsp salt 2 Tbs olive oil 1 ¾ cups water, warm Pepperoni Pizza (makes 1 pizza): 3/4-1 cup sauce 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese Pepperoni slices (regular or turkey) Olive Oil Chicken Ranch Pizza: 3/4-1 cup ranch dressing (you can add a small amount of minced garlic for some zip) Cooked and sliced chicken 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese Thinly sliced tomatoes Thinly sliced red onions Cooked bacon pieces Olive oil Barbeque Chicken Pizza: 3/4-1 cup barbeque sauce 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese Cooked and sliced chicken Sliced mushrooms Sliced red onion Pineapple tidbits Olive oil Crust: Whisk 4 cups flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add oil and water and still with spatula until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand until forms a smooth, round ball (about 10 min.), adding the remaining flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to the counter. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours. Pizza: Heat oven to 500° and let baking stone or upside down cookie sheet heat for at least 30 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and cut into three pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth round ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 20-30 minutes. Working with one ball at a time, stretch and shape the dough into one 12 inch round on a piece of parchment paper. Spread sauce over pizza, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Next, add the cheese and any desired toppings listed above. Lightly brush the edge of the dough with olive oil. Put pizza (parchment paper and all) in the oven. Bake until the curst edges are brown and the cheese is golden, 8 to 13 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and remove parchment. Let the stone or pan reheat for 5 minutes before baking the next pizza. Oreo Dessert Crust: 6 Tbs. Butter, melted 2 cups crushed Oreo cookie crumbs Filling: 1-2 quarts ice cream of choice Hot fudge sauce: 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup light corn syrup 4 Tbs. butter Pinch salt 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped Topping: Oreo cookies, roughly crushed Crust and filling: Combine cookie crumbs and butter and press into a 9x13 pan. Soften ice cream slightly and then smooth onto cookie crumbs. Freeze for at least a few hours. Sauce: Bring the cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt to a boil in a small sauce pan over medium- high heat. Off the heat, stir in the chocolate, cover, and let stand until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Uncover and whist gently until smooth. Adjust the consistency by heating and stirring in additional cream as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. Sauce can be poured over ice cream and frozen, or served as a warm sauce over a serving of the dessert. Top with crushed oreo cookies.