Want an adorable Valentine’s Day activity to do with your kids? Make-your-own Heart Shaped Pizza! This delicious recipe is from Greenwich Moms Asya Geller and her husband Mike Geller of Mike’s Organics. “My wife and kids love pizza, so we have a tradition of making heart shaped pizzas for Valentine’s Day. We have such a fun time making them, and even more fun eating the pizzas,” says Mike.
EQUIPMENT
- Cutting board and knife
- Cheese grater
- Prep bowls for toppings
- Rolling Pin (little ones for little hands are fun!)
- Pizza pans or large rimmed baking sheet(s)
- Pizza Cutter
- Serving platter or board
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough made ahead of time and left out to soften (Use Roberta’s Recipe or we highly recommend using store-bought dough to simplify – our favorite is Hawthorne Valley’s Organic Pizza Dough)
- 1½ cups marinara sauce (our favorite is Waldingfield Farm’s Farmer’s Heirloom Sauce
- 6 ounces cheese – mozzarella, Jack, Colby, or cheddar cheese, grated
- Toppings of your choice – the more colors the more fun – sliced bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, roasted red peppers; blanched broccoli or cauliflower florets; chopped artichokes, cooked bacon, cooked chicken; sausage; sliced pepperoni or other cured meats or vegetables)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
TOPPING PREP – BEFORE YOU START
- Chop all Toppings – kids bite sizes in individual bowls
- Heart Shaped Pepperoni – Fold a pepperoni slice in half and use a pair of kitchen shears to trim the edges into the shape of half of a heart. (When you unfold the pepperoni slice, it will be a whole heart.)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PIZZA
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease with a little olive oil.
- Making the Heart Shape:
- If you are making individual pizzas, divide the dough into separate balls.
- Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into the shape of a heart, then turn the edges over to form the crust. Brush with olive oil, then dock the crust with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming.
- OR – Use a pair of kitchen shears or a paring knife to cut the pizza dough into the shape of a large heart, discarding the dough scraps.
- Blind Bake the Dough – Baking blind (sometimes called pre-baking) is the process of baking dough without the filling – making it more sturdy before adding the toppings.
- Add the Pizza Sauce – two or three spoonfuls of sauce is plenty for individual pizzas, spread it out evenly and leave room around for the crust
- Add Toppings – add as you want to your pizza – encourage your kids to grab pinches or spoonfuls rather than handfuls of toppings to avoid the crust being flimsy and wet in the middle
- Bake Again – return to the oven and bake for 8-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown, the cheese begins to brown in spots, and the pepperoni is crispy.
- Let Cool – Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
- Slice the Pizza – Just like a regular round pizza, we typically slice heart shaped pizza into triangles… even if they aren’t perfect.