Cookie Cupcakes and Potato Pizza

Once upon a time there was a team of graduate students whose professor assigned to them not only a research paper, but also, the color purple. While diligently researching their topic, the students decided to embrace their royal color. Majestically they declared that on the day of their final presentation, only purple food would they eat. Well, mostly purple food. After much discussion, the purple menu came to feature eggplant parmesan,  purple cabbage spring rolls, blueberry cheesecake ice cream, chocolate chip cookie cupcakes, and purple potato pizza. The purple feast was magnificent in all its purple splendor. Huzzah!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups bittersweet ghiradelli chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar (The butter should be softened. It’s best to leave it out for a few hours before making the cookies. If that is not an option, try using the defrost option on the microwave to soften the butter without melting it).

Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla. Stir. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the egg-butter-sugar mixture. Add the chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon, drop the cookie dough into a mini muffin pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are a nice golden brown.

Once the cookies have been removed from the oven, you can poke a small crater in the center of each cookie “cupcake.” The bigger the small well, the more frosting (or Nutella, or peanut butter) you with which you can fill your cookie!

Purple Potato Pizza (adopted from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts)

Pizza Dough

1 packet active yeast

1 cup water

2 cups bread flour

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

Pizza and Toppings

5-6 purple potatoes, thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup mixed Italian cheeses

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp mixed pizza seasoning

Directions

Follow instructions on the yeast package for making the dough (The package I used said to dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water with 2 teaspoons of sugar.) Let the yeast-water mixture sit for about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the bread flour, salt, sugar, olive oil, and yeast mixture. Add the rest of the water (3/4 cup). Mix all of the ingredients until it comes together into a stiff dough. Cover with a towel and let it sit for an hour and a half. (I used traditional yeast, so it took a little longer for the dough to rise. Rapid rise yeast should only take about 30 minutes.)

Divide the dough in half. You can make two pizzas, or, you can easily store one of the dough balls in the freezer. (I used all of the dough at once in this instance)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Brush the pizza dough with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic powder. Alternatively, you can cut a bunch of garlic in half, and wrap it in foil. Roast it in the oven for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Once the garlic is done roasting, you’ll be able to easily remove the cloves and spread them across the dough.

Sprinkle the crust with a mix of the Italian cheese blend and the Parmesan cheese. Line the pizza with the sliced tomatoes and potatoes. Brush the potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the dried oregano, basil, and pizza seasoning. Top everything with a little more cheese!

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is nice and golden. Bon appétit!