Cauliflower Pizza Crust Pinstrosity

Hello! Today we have a fun pizza alternative, Cauliflower Pizza Crust!
Maggie and Taf sent us these Pinstrosities!

Chip and I like to get a little creative in the kitchen and one thing we like to play with sometimes is Cauliflower pizza crust. For a while I was trying a grain free diet (which was awful lol, but if you can do it more power to you!) and this was my solution for a "spurlge meal", because I used bacon and cheese and what not. We have made this recipe lots of times and give it some variation each time dependent on what we are in the mood for. Our recipe really isn't all that set in stone but we have the basic technique down.

 

The Original

http://againstallgrain.com/2012/03/07/meat-lovers-pizza-with-cauliflower-crust/

 

 

http://www.fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com/2011/06/basil-cauliflower-pizza/

 

 

The Pinstrosities

Maggie's

They look like giant Peanut butter cookies haha

 

 

and Taf's

 

 

Maggie said hers burnt at the edges, and the middle was soggy. She feels that she may have over processed the "dough". The original recipe she used called for cauliflower, parmesan cheese, an egg and some coconut flour (along with some spices) which helps the whole thing hold together. For this recipe they also made a very tiny pizza so it cooked super even in the original.

 

Taf used a recipe that called for cauliflower, eggs, and mozzarella cheese. She accidentally put hers on tin foil instead of the suggested parchment paper. She made another one after this with the parchment paper and said it turned out great.

 

There are many different recipes out there and Chip and I have tried a bunch and mushed them all together to get a final product we love. We also change our recipe depending on what we have in the house at that time (cheese wise).

 

First off for all of these recipe's the cauliflower needs to be riced. To do this I take a head of cauliflower cut it into smaller pieces (just into the smaller "trees") and then I use my Pampered Chef manual food chopper. I like this because I can see how small they are getting and it is pretty easy, but you can use a food processor is you want. We chop the cauliflower until it is about the size of rice or maybe a little smaller. Then we put it in a microwave safe bowl, leave it uncovered, and nuke it for about 3-5 minutes depending on how big of a pizza we want. This softens the cauliflower. DO NOT ADD WATER!! The cauliflower has enough in there already, adding water will make it nasty and mooshy! When it is all steamed we add 2-3 eggs (again this is dependent on pizza size) and then we add our cheese! Sometimes we use mozzarella, sometimes we use Romano or parmesan or a blend of all of them, it just depends on what we have on hand. Of course we also add garlic and oregano and some Italian seasonings. Next bake the crust for about 10-15 minutes (until light golden brown) at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then you add all your toppings and bake for another 10 minutes. Sometimes we will make little individual pizzas and other times we will make on HUGE pizza.

 

We always put the crust on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam or had been brushed with olive oil first, and we spread it out so it is even all over before baking. I noticed that both ladies used parchment paper with their pizzas, while I have never done it that way ( that doesn't mean it is wrong), I wonder if that might be one of the reasons it isn't cooking quite as even. I really like using my dark cookie sheet because it helps it cook  a little darker, and I think it helps the crust adhere better to itself. You do have to be a bit more careful with darker pans because they can cook your food a little quicker because they get a little hotter, so take that into consideration.

 

We haven't done a thick crusted one yet ( we are suckers for a thin crust), but these pizzas turn out REALLY good. If your pizza is feeling too mushy in the middle and burnt on the edges try thinning the middle of your crust out and turning the heat down a smidge. Anyone have any great tips for a Deep Dish Cauliflower Pizza Crust?? Share your tips!!

 

Happy Tuesday!