Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

I'm the queen of parties, I like to have a party for every occasion, Christmas, Halloween, birthdays, summer, Easter...pretty much anytime really haha and it also gives me an excuse to bake and make some fun and exciting goodies for guests! This time round was my sons Easter party so lots of 3 year olds to cater for and of course the parents!
My cookies are famous amongst my friends and I keep re inventing them with new flavours but I wanted something fun for the party and it came to me...well while looking through the Internet for ideas....Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip...it couldn't be more perfect and served with Easter shape cookies.
The only thing I noticed that I wasn't keen on was most of them were just cream cheese with sugar and some chocolate chips which is really not like cookie dough at all, so I came up with my own and wow was it a hit, it is like eating the cookie dough before you put it in the oven but without the egg...perfect! You can thank me later :))

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

2/3 cup butter softened
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 mascarpone
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Add the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix until light and fluffy
Add the vanilla extract and mascarpone and mix well

Add the flour, bicarb, salt and mix until the dough starts to form together then add the chocolate chips and knead in

And your away...

I personally like it exactly like cookie dough but If you want it more dip like and softer, feel free to add more mascarpone until you get the desired consistency :)

Perfect weekend family fun...making pizza

I love to cook and bake with my son and I think it's also very important for them to learn to not just make sweet treats but also savoury ones as well! He normally helps me with my bread making and sometimes we do our own pizza, from the dough, right through to putting our own toppings on! I put out a selection of toppings and sauces and we create our own pizzas, to our own tastes...although most of the time my son likes to eat the veg before it makes it to the pizza, like today when he ate all the olives, peppers and mushrooms, so I had to get some more for the pizzas haha! It makes a perfect family Saturday, making pizza :)

Pizza dough

250g Strong White Bread flour
5g fast action yeast (you can of course use 7g sachet)
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Olive oil
150ml lukewarm Water

(This makes 3 medium sized pizzas but you can double this if you wanted)

Put the flour in a bowl and add the yeast on one side and the salt on another. Pour in the oil and then add the water, and mix until you have a soft but not too sticky dough.
Knead on a floured surface for about 8-10 minutes
Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film for about 2 hours or until doubled in size
Turn out onto a work surface and knock back lightly. Divide into 3 balls and roll the balls into a pizza shape. Roll to about 5mm (this all depends if you like your pizzas thick and doughy or thin and crispy)
(If you want to wait to make your pizzas, then roll out and place between oiled baking paper and leave in the fridge to stop the dough from proving and rising anymore-then you can put your toppings on when your ready)
Now your ready to add your toppings

Tomato sauce
1 Onion- chopped finely
1 garlic clove- sliced finely
1/2 tsp oregano
1 x tin Plum tomatoes
1 tsp tomato purée
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the chopped onion in a good glug of olive oil. Cook until golden brown and soft.
Add the oregano and garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the tin of plum tomatoes and stir, breaking up the tomatoes as you go. Add the tomato purée and stir in. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and thickened.

Once you have made the dough and the sauce, it is time to make up your pizzas. I also like to use pesto on my pizza so please refer to my pesto recipe on my fb page.

Suggestions for toppings (These are just some of our favourites)
Tomato sauce
Mozzarella
Peppers
Olives
Mushrooms
Pancetta-thin sliced
Salami
Taleggio
Pesto
Cherry tomatoes
Chorizo
Chicken
Basil leaves
Goats cheese
Pine nuts
Walnuts