Individual Heart Pizzas (Soy, Nut, Fish and Egg-Free, Can Be Wheat and Milk-Free)

So I decided that I really should post one more Valentine-themed recipe, after all. :)  I am sure you'll forgive me, too, especially when you see how easy and adorable these are! :)

About once a week, we have pizza at my house.  Maybe that sounds like a lot or horrible, but the majority of the time it is homemade with as natural as possible ingredients.  We do use pepperoni, but we get the best we can afford with the least amount of junk in it as possible (Hormel makes a good, allergy-friendly one).  Sometimes we do Hawaiian or Chicken BBQ or even just plain cheese...We're flexible. :)  Anyway, not important. :)  This last Sunday was our pizza day, and (with it being so close to Valentine's Day) I decided to turn them into heart-shaped individual pizzas.  They were a HUGE hit!

These fun and festive pizzas are soy (if you use all soy-free ingredients), nut, fish and egg-free and can be wheat and milk-free (see variations).  Though pizza is by no means original to me, though I'm sure I'm not the first one to come up with the design, I am still ok with calling this mine because I didn't Google the recipe or get it from a book. :)

Anyway, without further adieu...

Individual Heart Pizzas

1 box of Jiffy Pizza Crust Mix

1/2 Cup hot (NOT boiling) tap water

soy-free flour (for kneading)

olive oil (for greasing)

soy-free pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce

mozzarella, Italian cheese blend and/or your favorite pizza cheeses

your favorite soy-free pizza toppings

1. Preheat oven to 425^oF.

2. Add water to contents of package in a bowl; stir until moistened. (If mixture is too dry, add a little more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time until all contents is MOISTENED only. It's supposed to be a bit sticky and lumpy.)

3. Cover bowl and let stand for 5 minutes in a warm place (about 85^o). (I just put the bowl on the top of my stove top towards the back while the oven is preheating for this step. There's generally enough heat coming from the oven for the dough to rise this way.)

4. Knead the dough several times on a floured board/counter top and separate it into 2 to 4 pieces.

5. Grease 1 to 2 cookie sheets or pizza pans with the olive oil.

6. Grease your fingers and shape each piece of dough into heart shapes on the pan(s) until you've used up all the dough.  (Thickness and size is personal preference, but note that if it's thicker or larger, the cooking time may be increased.  Also, I wouldn't put more than 3 pizzas per pan if the pans are large and rectangle shaped, 2 if the pans are smaller and rectangle, and 1 if the pan is round.)

7. Pre-bake dough for 2 to 3 minutes before topping each heart with pizza or spaghetti sauce, cheese and desired toppings and returning it to oven to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.

Makes 2 to 4 individual pizzas.

Variations (make sure all your substitutions fit your individual dietary needs):

• Wheat-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pizza mix (such as Chebe or Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix or any homemade gluten-free crust you prefer) and the ingredients used to make it in place of the Jiffy Pizza Crust mix and water, and make sure all your cheeses and toppings are gluten/wheat-free.  Your cooking directions may be different; just follow the ones on the crust mix package or on your recipe.
• Milk-free: Use a dairy-free crust (such as Chebe or  Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix or any homemade dairy-free crust you prefer) and the ingredients used to make it in place of the Jiffy Pizza Crust mix and water, and use dairy-free cheese (some ideas on brands to try are listed here) and toppings.  Your cooking directions may be different; just follow the ones on the crust package or on your recipe.
• You can use any type of dough for the crust that you like, just use your crust package or recipe cooking instructions.
• You can turn these into bread sticks, too, by keeping the heart shapes, but following the directions for pizza style plain, garlic, garlic cheese or cinnamon sugar bread sticks here.
• You could also make this into one large heart-shaped pizza instead, too.

 I can't think of a better way to say, "I love you!" to the pizza lovers in your life, can you?

Happy Valentine's Day (a little early), all!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)