August 26, 2013

Peach Prosciutto Pizza


I'm a happy foodie for two reasons right now.

First, kitchen toys are just fun.

My favorite new kitchen toy is the Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker from Williams-Sonoma.  It is advertised as a countertop appliance that will change the life of a pizza lover.  Maybe it's the lawyer in me, but that's a strong claim to make without any substantiation.  After using this pizza maker, I can tell you that no further substantiation is necessary for that claim.

This pizza maker has dual heating elements on the top and bottom, which allows the pizza maker to get up to 660ºF.  With the dual heating elements, the high heat, and the baking stone, this is like cooking a pizza in a brick oven.  While the baking stone and hot oven technique cooked some great pizzas, this pizza maker has been by far the best.  It helps the pizza get an incredible crust, and you can customize the baking based on the type of crust.  The thin crust pizzas have come out perfectly crisp, and the cheese and toppings are melted and not overly done.  I've been having fun playing with my new toy, and my friends/culinary consultants have been great taste testers for me.

Second, Palisade peaches are here!  Palisade is an area on the western slope of Colorado's Rocky Mountains.  Palisade produces the sweetest, ripest, and most delicious peaches!  My Colorado readers are probably nodding their head thinking, "Georgia has nothing on Colorado when it comes to peaches!"  I'm not sure if they are found in other areas of the country, but if they are, please give them a try!  Your tastebuds will be in for quite a treat.  The Palisade peaches are so juicy and full of flavor that you sort of want to just stand over the kitchen sink to eat them.

I received 20 pounds of Palisade peaches from Door to Door Organics.  What have I been doing with all those peaches?  I've been making more sweet treats, like my favorite peach vanilla jam (aka summer in a jar), but when I looked at the counter and saw my pizza maker, savory pizza came to mind!

Prosciutto and cantaloupe is a classic Italian summer appetizer with a perfect combo of salty and sweet.  I took a riff on that summer combination and created a peach prosciutto pizza.  I topped the pizza with sliced peaches and prosciutto slices, and then I sprinkled a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  For a pop of color and some bonus flavor, I added some fresh basil to the pizza.  To balance out the sweet, salty, and rich flavors, I added some tartness with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar before baking.

This has been one of my favorite pizzas that I've made.  I had an open bottle of moscato wine with such ripe stone fruit flavors, and it helped make this dinner a sweet surprise.  Give this a try while those peaches are still in season.

Full Disclosure: This is not a sponsored review.  I did not receive any compensation or free product for publishing the post.  I just wanted to share a great new kitchen product! :)

Peach Prosciutto Pizza
Yields 1 10-12 inch pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza dough
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
5 oz. mozzarella and parmesan cheese, shredded
2-4 slices of prosciutto, depending on your preference
1-2 peaches (use 2 if the peaches are smaller), sliced
2 tbsp. fresh basil
Salt, to taste

Directions:

Place a baking stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 450ºF for at least an hour.

Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with flour or semolina flour,  and roll out the pizza dough to a 10-12" circle.  Brush extra virgin olive oil over the surface.  Arrange the peaches and prosciutto slices on the pizza.  Sprinkle an even lawyer of cheese over the pizza, and then top with the basil.  Lightly sprinkle salt, if desired.  Carefully slide the pizza onto the baking stone and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Remove the finished pizza from the oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes before slicing.


Source: A Simply Sweet Justice Original

10 comments:

  1. Wow, those pizza cooker people should take notice and pay you for a post like this! At least send you some pizza toppings. :)

    I love your peach pizza!

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    1. Your date posts make me want to somehow incorporate dates onto a pizza!

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  2. What an interesting new kitchen gadget- I'll have to check it out. However, my spare bedroom is chalk full of kitchen gadgets- I don't think I could handle one more! I like the idea of combining the sweet taste of the peaches with the salty taste of the prosciutto.

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    1. This is the advantage to having a basement: more storage room! ;)

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  3. Good morning. I found your blog through my friend Heather's blog. Very nice to find a fellow Denver Blogger. I'm a new follower. And this pizza looks really good, especially since I'm swimming in peaches right now. :)

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    1. It's so great to find another Colorado blogger! The peaches are just too good!

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  4. Pizza pizza? Brilliant, what a delicious idea :D
    I adore this flavour!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    Replies
    1. Welcome back!! It's so great that you are done with your exams…I am sure you are happy to be back baking. :)

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  5. I bought the pizza maker after your comments - it is everything you said and more! I love it!!! This is a great combination and I'll be trying this at home.

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad you love it!! I can't wait to hear about the yummy pizzas you make on it!

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