Heart Shaped Pizza

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.