Peanut Power Dessert Pizza

Peanuts are emerging as a key ingredient as product and menu developers look for new ways to create nutritious, balanced meals without sacrificing flavor.

Everyone is trying to eat healthier foods—but not at the expense of flavor. In the midst of this trend, peanuts offer more than 30 essential vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants, as well as a high level of protein. They contain monounsaturated fat—the good fat—which is linked to heart health. They are high in fiber. And for people who have problems with gluten, products made with peanut ingredients can be a good alternative.

High-protein, low-fat peanut flour and peanut protein powder are finding their way into many creative offerings, including beverages, main entrées, and desserts to add more energy while increasing the craveability factor.

This dessert pizza was created for the National Peanut Board with a focus on showcasing the healthy benefits of peanuts and peanut ingredients. The recipe started as a twist on a standard dessert-style “pizza.” By incorporating peanuts, raspberries, blueberries and frozen yogurt, what is traditionally a discretionary, high-carb indulgence was pushed toward the positive side of the indulgence equation. Peanut butter and defatted peanut flour add not only flavor and smoothness, but also additional protein, while the berries and the raspberry coulis add freshness and flavor along with antioxidant benefits. The yogurt adds smoothness and beneficial enzymes.

Foods that deliver great flavor and indulgence combined with good nutrition and energy will continue to grow in relevance for consumers.

Recipe:
Ingredients

Dough
1 cup skim milk, scalded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon plus ½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup creamy, unsweetened peanut butter
1 tablespoon cake yeast
2 eggs
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup plus 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup defatted peanut flour

Raspberry Coulis
2½ cups frozen, unsweetened raspberries
1 cup simple syrup, 50/50

Assembly
Fresh berries
Vanilla frozen yogurt
Powdered sugar

Procedure: In medium saucepan, heat scalded milk, butter and 1 teaspoon sugar. While hot, mix in peanut butter. Let cool to lukewarm; add yeast and let sit for 10 minutes. In a mixer with paddle attachment, add eggs, salt and remaining sugar and mix until incorporated. Then add milk mixture, 1 cup flour and the peanut flour and mix on low speed. Once incorporated, replace paddle with dough hook; add the remaining flour into mixer on low speed. Knead dough for 5 minutes on medium speed. Put dough in lightly oiled stainless steel bowl and let rise 1 hour at room temperature. Punch down dough and roll into small pizza rounds; let rise again. Preheat oven to 400ºF and place greased sheet pan in oven. Punch down dough again and roll out to the desired shape. Place dough into oven on sheet pan and bake for 1½ minutes. For the berry coulis, place frozen raspberries in blender. In small saucepan, heat simple syrup. In blender, liquefy berries and pour in hot simple syrup; purée 30 seconds. Strain through a medium-hole sieve and refrigerate. To serve, place cooked dough on plate. Top with fresh, seasonal berries, like raspberries or blueberries. Top again with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt and dust with powdered sugar. Stripe plate with raspberry coulis and serve.

Formula:
Dough

Raspberry Coulis

Procedure: Add milk to steam-jacketed kettle and heat to 100ºF. Add yeast to activate and mix until incorporated. In a horizontal dough mixer, add butter, sugar, peanut butter, salt and eggs. Heat to 185ºF and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Cool to 100ºF and add the milk-yeast mixture, all-purpose flour and peanut flour; mix on low until fully incorporated, then mix/knead for five minutes. Move dough to warm (100ºF) proofing room for 30 minutes. Remove dough, roll to ¼-in. thick and stamp 6-in.-diameter rounds (target weight, 5.5 oz.); transfer to conveyor sheet pans. Move to proofing room for 30 minutes. Move pans on to conveyor oven set to bake at 400ºF for 1½ minutes. Cool to 40ºF and package, four crusts per package, shingled with plastic or parchment paper, for refrigerated storage and transport. For the berry coulis, add raspberry purée, water and sugar to vertical mixer. Blend on medium until fully incorporated. Pump into packages, 8 oz. coulis per package. Bundle each 4 crusts with one 8-oz. package of coulis. End user: Bring refrigerated crusts to room temperature. Top with fresh, seasonal berries, like raspberries or blueberries. Top again with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt and dust with powdered sugar. Stripe plate with 2 oz. raspberry coulis per pizza and serve.