Ingredients

Serves 4-6

Pizza Faces
1 quantity pizza dough (recipe following)
Or 1 pkt small pita breads

1 small tub fresh pesto
1 small tub olive tapenade
1 cup tomato passata


Assorted toppings:
Roasted capsicum strips; whole olives; bacon, ham or prosciutto; cherry tomatoes; grated mozzarella cheese or baby bocconcini; roasted whole button mushrooms; rocket or baby spinach


 

Pizza dough:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp (7gr) dry yeast
½ tsp sugar or honey
450gr plain flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

 


Gingerbread People
60gr butter
2/3 cup golden syrup
1 ¾ cup plain flour
1 tsp bi-carb soda
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp plain flour, extra.


Royal icing or icing tubes to decorate
Icing decorations

 

Method

Pizza Faces
Combine water, yeast and sugar in a medium bowl.  Add half the flour and mix to a sloppy paste. Add remaining flour, olive oil and salt and mix to a firm dough.  Turn out onto a bench top and knead until smooth (5-10 mins), or use a dough hook on an electric mixer.

Return to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place to double in size. Knock back and knead for a further 5 mins. Divide into even size balls and roll out into circles.

Top with pesto, tapenade or passata depending on what colour you would like your faces to be. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Add olives, baby bocconcini or mushrooms for eyes and noses, roasted capsicum strips or bacon strips for eyebrows and mouths.

Slide onto a hot pizza stone and bake for 4-5 mins or until golden. Serve immediately with rocket or spinach for hair.

 


Gingerbread People
Melt butter in the microwave or in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add golden syrup and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stand for 10 mins. Add sifted dry ingredients and milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes smooth.  Cover and stand at room temperature for about an hour or until the mixture thickens up and becomes solid enough to handle.

Sprinkle the bench with extra plain flour and turn the dough out. Knead until the dough loses its stickiness without working in too much extra flour. Roll out to about 8mm thickness and cut out required shapes.

Bake at 180°C or 160°C fan-forced for about 8-10 minutes or until golden.
Cool on a rack and decorate when cool.

Note: This recipe is not strictly gingerbread – it is more of a lebkuchen dough without the dried fruit!  It is slightly softer in texture than gingerbread, but is rolled out a little thicker which may be easier for little people who are just starting their baking careers!