Cookie Comparison

So, it's Girl Scout cookie season, and I'm proud to say that I've certainly bought my share this year.  Given how much I move around, I have friends throughout the US, and many of them have scout family members or daughters, so of course I can't say no to any of them.

Many people may know (or not as the case may be), Girl Scout cookies are supplied by two different bakeries: ABC bakery and Little Brownie bakery, which means there are some regional differences in the cookies - taste, offerings, and in some cases, amount of total cookies per box.

Each bakery does differ a bit in their offerings of the cookies.  Little Brownie for instance offered Thank U Berry Much and Dulce de Leche, while ABC offered Lemonades and Mango Cremes.  There's also a small price difference of 50 cents.

There are also some naming differences, which always confused me every time I moved.  Samoas are also called Caramel deLites, while Tag-a-longs are also called Peanut Butter Patties (of course, depending on which bakery you purchase from).  My personal favorites are the Samoas/Caramel Delights, so this posting will mainly be a comparison of those two...

Samoas are put out by the Little Brownie bakery, while Caramel deLites are what ABC bakery calls them.  The differences go beyond the names...there are 2 more cookies in the Caramel deLites box, with some minor differences in the nutrition content (with both bakeries having 2 cookies as the serving size--ohhh if only one of them let me have 3 per serving :-( ).

BUT...the differences don't stop there:

 Left is the Little Brownie bakery, and right is the ABC bakery.  Little Brownie's Samoa is slightly smaller, and the taste is a little different.  Maybe dark chocolate for Little Brownie?  But, regardless, both are still very tasty!  Perhaps the differences are substantial enough to call them by different names.

But, whatever bakery your local girl scout troop gets their cookies from, they're still amazing cookies!  Enjoy Girl Scout Cookie season!!!!!

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza

Pizza is the best way to express your personality!  There is no wrong way to make a pizza.  From the type of dough to the sauce to the toppings every step of the way you can express your personality!  Most people find that the dough is hardest part, for me, it's actually the sauce.  Anyway, we'll go from bottom to top to make a healthy pizza!

This is all you need for this pizza.  There are some ingredients some people might find strange, such as wheat germ, but I assure you, it's healthy!

wheat germ

To start off with the dough---I like a nice whole wheat crust--but some wheat can be too "wheaty" for people, so I like to use honey instead of sugar.  So what do you need for this crust? 

Dough--

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup of warm water

2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 tsp salt

1 tbspn honey

I also added some spices to the mix...I added some garlic and some Italian seasoning to the crust dough for added flavor.

First you dissolve the active dry yeast in the cup of warm water for about 10 minutes.

While that is "proofing," mix together the wheat flour, wheat germ, and salt.

When the yeast is done proofing, pour the yeast mixture and the tablespoon of honey into your dry ingredients (flour, etc).  Mix together and knead for about 10 minutes.  If the dough seems too sticky, add some additional flour until the dough is elastic, but not too sticky.  This is when you add in your additional spices to the dough if you're using them.  Knead them in, and let the dough rise in a warm area for about 10-15 minutes and Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Once the dough has undergone its rise (it'll be about double the volume)--punch it down and knead it a little more.

I divided the dough into 2...it'll make about 2 10"pizzas if you like thin crust.

Roll it out into a circle (the best you can..because i stink at it), and let it rise for a few minutes more.  After it's second rise, put in the oven for about 5 minutes on 400 degrees.  Then you can put your sauce, cheese, and toppings on it and put it back in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Sauce--

I would pre-make your sauce so you're not waiting on the sauce to be done.  This is one of the few times when the bread will be done much  more quickly than some of your other items.  I personally like a sweeter sauce...tart sauce isn't the best for me...so here is a nice slightly modified recipe for some sweet sauce

28 oz of tomato puree (I prefer homemade puree, but you can buy a can of puree)
Grated Onion (about 1 tablespoon)
Grated Carrot (about 1/2 tablespoon)
Grated Garlic (about 4 cloves)
Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley to taste
Salt (~1/4 teaspoon or to taste)
Ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Olive Oil

I prefer to grate the Onion, Carrot, and Garlic vice mincing it, because it gives it a smoother texture.

Heat the oil in a large pot.
Put in the Tomato Puree, then add all the other ingredients
Simmer for ~30-60 minutes depending on the texture you want
Viola..it's done

So, after the crust has been pre-baked for 5 minutes...go ahead and put your sauce on...layer on the cheese (as much or as little as you like) and add your toppings!  My favorite topping on pizza is pineapple (don't judge!).  PS--i definitely need to add more cheese!

Enjoy!