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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Replicate unique gourmet pizza at home

 •  Primed for pork


By Elaine Magee

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Caramelized apples, toasted nuts and creamy Brie top a part-whole wheat crust for a healthier version of a gourmet pizza.

Elaine Magee

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Q. I enjoyed an unusual pizza at a restaurant that used Brie cheese, sliced apples and walnuts. Is there a way to make this at home?

A. With a bread machine on hand, homemade pizza dough is a breeze. I developed a part-whole wheat and part-cornmeal pizza crust dough for this gourmet pizza and it worked out well. A garlic-infused olive oil mixture is used to brush on the crust before topping with lower-fat Brie and shredded reduced-fat Jarlsberg and Swiss cheeses, caramelized apples and walnuts.

Although the end result is a pizza that's on the higher side in terms of total grams of fat, two-thirds of the fat is coming from mono-unsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats thanks to the olive oil and walnuts. The saturated fat is mainly coming from the cheeses. Each two-slice serving also contributes 5 grams of fiber and 14 grams of protein and makes for a very satisfying meal.

BRIE AND WALNUT PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES

Bread machine cornmeal pizza crust:

• 1/2 cup warm water

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon lowfat milk or fat-free half and half

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoon active dry or rapid-rise yeast

Topping:

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 1/4 apples, cored and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

• 6 ounces lite Brie (4 ounces of regular Brie can be substituted), thinly sliced

• 1 cup shredded lite Jarlsberg, Gruyere or reduced-fat Swiss

• 1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces (toast nuts to golden brown in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat)

Add pizza crust contents to bread machine pan in the order listed and set machine to "dough" or "pizza dough" setting and press start.

Meanwhile, in a small cup, blend 2 teaspoons olive oil with minced garlic and set aside. In large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, spread a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in pan and lay apple slices in pan. When underside is lightly brown, flip apple slices over and brown second side. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top and toss for a minute to blend and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. When pizza dough cycle is complete, divide dough in half and roll each on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle. Place the pizzas on a large jellyroll pan. Spread the olive oil and garlic mixture evenly over both pizza crusts. Spread Brie slices evenly over both pizza crusts and top with caramelized apple mixture. Sprinkle the Jarlsberg cheese over the top followed by toasted walnut pieces.

Bake for 15 minutes until crust and cheese is lightly brown. Cut each pizza into 6 slices.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving (2 slices): 400 calories, 14 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 6.5 g monounsaturated fat, 5 g polyunsaturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 373 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 40 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = 1 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 4 gram. Weight Watchers POINTS = 9