You Could Score Some Nice Dough

By Charlotte on September 7, 2012 6:53 AM

Some people have a weakness for chocolate. (Yes, I mean Bob.) Me, I'd always rather have a warm, chewy roll; pumpkin bread; strawberry bread ... make that just about any kind of doughy goodness.

 

And sign me up for cutting time in the kitchen. I never compete with Pillsbury in the piecrust department or spend hours stirring up pasta sauce when our son Cole is already sold on Ragu.

 

So when the folks at Auntie Anne's pretzels asked us to try one of their easy At-Home Baking Kits, I thought "What a nice way to make some dough!"  

 

 

You could score some nice dough thanks to Auntie Anne's pretzels. We're giving away 3, Boomer-licious prize packages, including:

 

·        A $10 gift card good at any of the almost 1,200 Auntie Anne's locations known for serving delightful, fresh-from-the-oven favorites

 

·        The popular, pretzel maker's At-Home Baking Kit. What an easy way to create heavenly, homemade goodies!

 

Click "Read More" for details on how to enter.

Contest* ends Sept. 20!

 

 

Earlier this year, pretzel lovers from across the country submitted tasty recipes for Auntie Anne's first-ever At-Home Baking Kit Recipe Challenge.

 

Why not try the pretzel-based recipe that took home the $1,000 grand prize? Putting her unique twist on a common dessert, Chaelyn [Shay-lin] Consaul of New York won the judges' top vote with her Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Pizza.

 

The winning recipe features a slightly sweet pizza crust made with Auntie Anne's Baking Kit (which you could win as described below). The dough is topped with a cheesecake filling; layered with sliced, fresh strawberries and strawberry glaze, then drizzled with chocolate.

 

Besides earning the top spot among some tough competition, this pretty pie caught my eye because it combines two things Bob and I can never resist: pizza and strawberries.

 

 

• Auntie Anne's Baking Kit
• 2, 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1, 13.5-ounce container strawberry glaze
• 1/4-cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°F.

 

Prepare pretzel dough according to package directions (Dough Preparation).

 

For the filling, blend softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.

 

Roll out the dough into a 16-inch round and lay over round pan. Cut the extra dough that hangs over the pan and roll into a rope form.

 

Dissolve baking soda (from the kit) in 4 cups very hot tap water and stir. Dip the ropes into baking soda bath and then place around the edge of the dessert pizza as a crust. Sprinkle with pretzel salt (from the kit).

 

Add filling onto pizza. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Baste crust with melted butter.

 

Let cool for 10 minutes then place sliced strawberries around the pizza starting along the crust and work inward. Spread strawberry glaze over top.

 

For the chocolate drizzle, melt chocolate chips. Dip a basting brush in the melted chocolate and fan over the cooled pizza. Chill for 1 hour before slicing and serving.

 

Preparation Time: 65 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

 

 

What We Liked

Everything needed to make the crust, including step-by-step instructions, came in the baking kit.

 

Talk about simple! I just stirred the included yeast packet into lukewarm water (I knew that candy thermometer would come in handy someday), let that sit a few minutes and added the dough mix. Using a rubber spatula, then my hands, I worked the mixture into a ball, turned it onto lightly floured wax paper and kneaded it for about five minutes.

 

Afterwards, I put it in a large bowl coated with Pam, sprayed Pam on some plastic wrap and put that on top of the dough. I sat the bowl by a sunny window and, 30 minutes later, I was rewarded with an amazingly puffy ball of doughy goodness. Ahhhh! Speaking as someone who's made her share of yeast breads, it's never been easier to get results.

 

Rolling out the dough and forming the cheesecake crust was also a breeze.

 

You need only four ingredients (cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla) to make the cheesecake layer. Thanks to my KitchenAid stand mixer (always such a help!), I had them combined and poured over the crust in minutes.

 

Next time, I'll make the crust a little smaller than my pizza round because it continued to rise during baking, almost overflowing the pan.

 

After baking, I enjoyed topping the pie with sliced strawberries and strawberry glaze (which you can pick up in the produce department). Then WA-LA, I'd made a large, showy dessert worthy of a special occasion.

 

I didn't run into a hitch until trying to glaze the pie with melted chocolate chips. Simply heating them in the microwave didn't work. In the end, I melted them on the stovetop and added a little butter to give them a better consistency for drizzling. I'm not sure I'd make the effort next time because I don't think the chocolate is really necessary. But then, I'm not a chocoholic!

 

 

How It Tasted

Lip-smacking good! We loved the thick, slightly sweet crust and creamy cheesecake filling topped with luscious, fresh strawberries and pretty glaze. Too bad we weren't expecting company. Besides impressing guests, this eye-catcher could easily have fed at least 12 if not more.

 

 

On the Shelf

Auntie Anne's At-Home Baking Kit is $5.99 to $7.99. You can find it at participating Auntie Anne's stores as well as at specialty retailers, a club store and regional grocery chains throughout the country.

 

For other baking kit ideas, follow Auntie Anne's on Facebook or check Auntieannesrecipes.com.

 

 

Want to score some dough? 3 lucky readers will win a Boomer-licious prize package from Auntie Anne's pretzels. This approximately, $20 value includes:

 

• A $10 gift card good at any of the almost 1,200 Auntie Anne's known for serving fresh-from-the-oven favorites in flavors like Original, Cinnamon Sugar, Pepperoni and more. 

• The popular, pretzel maker's At-Home Baking Kit, an easy way to mix up heavenly, homemade pretzels, pizzas, breads, sides, main dishes and desserts. Yum! 

To enter the contest*, email your name, mailing address (no PO Boxes please) and phone number to Enter@BoomerBrief.com by Sept. 20 and put "Score Some Dough" in the subject line.

 

* This contest is only open to entrants in the 50 United States.

 

 

 

Thank you to Auntie Anne's for providing a free sample

of the At-Home Baking Kit for review and testing.

 

 

 

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