Since my husband and I are pretty much home-bound these days with our two little ones, I got to thinking about what we could do to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. When I think of a romantic dinner, Italian never fails, so this year, we're making homemade pizzas at home! Easier than you think, and a lot of fun to make, we're sticking to traditional Neapolitan style with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. Feel free to get creative though and top yours with whatever strikes your fancy! For dessert—of course I'm serving chocolate! Nothing sets the mood more than dark chocolate truffles spiked with a hint of chili pepper—a tried and true aphrodisiac. Now that's amore!
Pizza Dough
3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.
I preheat our oven as high as it would go, which is 500, and 13-15 minutes was the perfect amount of baking time. This dough would work great on a grill too to get that really authentic Neapolitan char.
Chocolate Chili Truffles
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (feel free to add more if you desire more heat!)
unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling
*This is a great all purpose truffle recipe. Instead of cayenne you can substitute 1 tablespoon of your favorite liqueur. I've used Grand Marnier and rum before, and both are amazing combinations.
Place the chocolate in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add butter and cayenne into the bowl with the chocolate. In a small saucepan, heat the whipping cream on the stove over medium heat until it starts to steam but not boil. Only takes a few minutes, so keep your eye on it. Once it's scalded, pour it directing over the chocolate, butter and cayenne, and let it sit for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, mix with a whisk until all the ingredients are blended together and the chocolate is glossy and smooth. Place in the refrigerator until the ganache sets. This takes about an hour. While it's setting, place about a 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa on a plate for rolling the truffles through. When the ganache is ready, use a small ice cream scoop (1" scoop) to scoop the ganache mixture. Roll it into a ball, and then roll it through the cocoa powder and set aside. Repeat until the mixture is gone. Enjoy!
