Pizza Rustica

I've been asked by a few people for my recipe for Pizza Rustica. I'm more then happy to share this!

There are as many different ways to make this dish!  Plus, so many different names for it! Some call it Pizza Rustica, Carnival Pie, Easter Pie or Ham Pie.  My house we call it Easter Prosciutto Pie and it's our favorite!  We can't wait for Easter to roll around to make this tradition.  Of course we can make it any time of the year but it wouldn't be so special at Easter if we did!



You can make this pie in one big pan about 12 x 3  or you can do two pans.  This recipe I give you is for one big pan. If you want to make this smaller just cut everything in half!


Here's what my family uses to make this amazing pie. Lets start with the crust of the pie. 

Crust - 

4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons yeast

6 tablespoons Olive oil

2 Cups warm water

Mix yeast and warm water together in a bowl.  Let sit for a minute. In another bowl mix remaining ingredients.  After mixing add the yeast and water and mix well.  Let sit 1 ½ hours in a warm and dry area.   

*Now if that sounds too hard or your just not the dough making type of person I have a simple way of fixing that!  You can do one of two things. The first, go to the supermarket and buy three ready made crust in the refrigeration isle from Pillsbury. Works great. The second, sometimes the local pizza place will let you buy uncooked dough from them. If they allow this get two balls of dough and use that. This works just as well!

On to the filling of the pie!!!

Filling

1 lb prosciutto

1 lb dry salami

1 lb provolone

20 eggs

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 lb ricotta cheese

When buying the meat and cheese ask the deli to slice them about ½ inch thick.  When making the pie cut the meat and cheese into cubes.  Grab a huge bowl and mix it all together.

*Now here's where the recipe really starts to vary depending on who makes it. What part of Italy they come from and what grandma did when she made it.  In the end it always taste amazing no matter which way you pick to make your pie!   If you don't like prosciutto pick something else. Another meat like a good ham. You don't like provolone pick another cheese. It's as simple as that.  Also, we like to cube the meat and cheese. Others like to buy it at the deli in thin long strips. This is all about the way you like it. 


Now to put it all together!!!

Cut the dough for the crust into two pieces.  Roll it out and line the bottom and sides of the pan. Even try to get it to hang off the edge. Fill the crust with the mixture. Roll out second piece of dough and lay it on top of the filling. It’s looking like a pie now.


Bake it at 375'F for around one hour.  It may need to cook longer. It needs to look firm and cooked. Not runny.  You have to really take a look at it. You don't want to under cook it.  Once it looks done. Take it out and let it rest. Let it cool down before doing anything to it.  Cut it right in the pan or try to pop it out. (like a cake)  You can eat it warm or cold. Either way it great. Keep it in the fridge after you make it.  


*Even the way you fill the pie is done different by some.  Some people like to leave the meat on the side. Pour a little of the rest of the filling into the crust. Layer the meat and then add more mixture and then meat. Repeat until your to the top of your pan.   Also, You don't need to cover the top with the crust.  I like it without. Some like it covered with the dough.   


If your going to make this into two pies then you might need a little extra dough to put top crust on both. You can make them into two pies and do no tops at all. That's up to you.

Dry Salami and Ricotta in the bowl

The rest of the meat mixed in.

There it is in the pan all mixed and cooking away.

This was one pie I made. No crust on top just bottom and up the sides. A little over the top.

This is the second pie I made. No top crust. Just bottom sides and a little on top. This one is cooked a little longer then the one above.

Inside of the cake. You can sort of see here how the meat is all mixed in and not layers.

This isn't a perfect recipe. It's a very old recipe from very old times. It's something you make and get the hang of it after making it a few times.  Next time Easter rolls around start a new tradition in your house by making pizza rustica.  Have family members help out with the cutting and mixing. This can become a great tradition every year for all to get involved with. 

I wish you luck with making this and I hope you enjoy!

Best Desserts Ever!

We saved the BEST desserts for last!  There's magic all over Disneyland.....even in their desserts!

If you walk to Critter Country and go around the back of splash mountain you'll find this great section where magical desserts are made!  There's a small meet and greet section for the winnie the pooh characters and right beyond that is this shop. You can buy your normal items like clothes, toys and pins however in this shop you'll find some treats that are worth every penny!

After grabbing their autographs run over and check out the desserts.  If your lucky you'll get to see some of those desserts being made.

These are chocolate covered marshmallows getting the Disney treatment!

Yes that's right ....those are tigger marshmallows on a stick!  The lady in front of me said that those are dipped in caramel first, then chocolate with some orange sprinkles and chocolate for the stripes. OMG Yummy!

Chocolate covered strawberries with nuts.

Mickey Pecan Nut Clusters and Mickey Almond Nut Clusters.  Those look amazing!

For those that just love rice crispy treats look no further! They have HUGE bars of them waiting for you!

If you prefer a cookie there are plenty of those to pick from too!

 Mickey and Minnie sugar cookies!

Above:  At Disney you can even find sugar free desserts!  Here they have a sugar free Pecan Caramel Pattie or you can get a sugar free chocolate covered pretzel. 

My favorite at this shop by far are the chocolate covered apples. Everyone has seen a chocolate covered apple but you've never seen chocolate covered apples like this! Disney really brings out the magic here!

Congrats to the class of 2011

Hunny pots and Jack!

Can't forget about mickey and minnie! 

The World of Color Apple! Even at that price it's worth every penny!

We got a chance to go to a meet and greet breakfast with some great characters. Of course I searched for desserts there too and found some!

Lemon Bars

 Chocolate Chip, oatmeal raisin, pound cake, lemon bar and chocolate rice crispy treats.

 Bread pudding and Fruit cobbler.

Every where you turn in the Disneyland park you can find a great dessert!  We had a blast walking the park, going on rides and eating desserts! 

Disneyland In The Kitchen!

Of course Disneyland doesn't fall short on their desserts however I thought this time around I'd show you some other items you can use for desserts!  We found some great items over in California Adventure and just wanted to buy everything!   Check out these fun and cute kitchen items!


Look at these great pop makers! Not only do you get a great treat but you get Mickey Mouse along with it!

 

  

 Now of course you can't forget those items you need to put your desserts in! These cups would be great for shaved ice, ice cream, pudding and pretty much any dessert you can think of!

I couldn't pass these up! Mickey Mouse head, hand and a star cookie cutters!  These are about 3 inches big and will make the perfect little cookies for my kids and friends!

Of course what's a kitchen without measuring cups?

  I just love the little pictures on each cup! This just makes baking even more fun!!!!

  

Of course along with those cups you need the measuring spoons to match!

 You'll also need all the other utensils to go along with your measuring cups & spoons!  How cute are those handles? I just love all these items!

Now once your done baking you need these fancy pot holders to remove those cute cupcakes and other items from the oven!

Disneyland makes sure that you go all out in your kitchen with the fantasy of Disney!  It's like taking home a part of Disneyland with you.  

I have to admit they did have other items in the store. Like a silicone baking pan, silicone mini mickey's, timers, salt and pepper shakers and cute aprons however the people working there sort of gave me a strange look after I took a few pictures! With that I paid for my cookie cutters and got out of there! I love all these items and you have to go there to get your hands on some before their all gone!!

Disneyland Desserts!

Today we walked the Disneyland park in search of some desserts that would make you want another one right after you finished the first one!  Well, we found two desserts that did just that! While waiting for my son to go through the Jedi Training I slipped off to get some chocolate mousse.

This wasn't just mousse.  They layered chocolate sauce on the bottom, mousse, oreo crumble, whipped cream, more mousse topped off with a cute mickey mouse chocolate face. 

We couldn't stop eating this dessert! It was amazing!

Look at that chocolate mickey mouse! 

We walked the park some more and found some on the go treats that you could pick up right away.  Sometimes you just want to grab a treat on the run and Disneyland has plenty of those types of treats to buy. You'll find these great fast treats all over the park in their wonderful shops. 

They also have items you can pick up for a friend that are wrapped in these great boxes! Perhaps you just want to sneak one back to the hotel room for a midnight snack...... ;-)

 

Night time came fast and we settled in over at a cafe in the New Orleans section.  We ordered a plate of beignets!  What's a beignet? It's a pastry made from deep fried dough and dusted with confectioner's sugar. Extremely similar to the Italian zeppole! 

Look at this!  Mickey Mouse shaped beignets!  They had this creme brulee to dip it in.

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The other side had a grape jelly to dip into.

Just amazing! 

We just couldn't get enough of these desserts today! Disneyland sure does do dessert right!