Chocolate "Pizza"

Yield: 12 slices

Tips: Made in a pizza pan, this looks surprisingly festive. It's a great opportunity to get creative with some of your favorite candies, and it's one "pizza" that's easy enough for kids and even notorious non-cooks to make. Choose either semisweet or milk chocolate as your "crust", and white chocolate as your "sauce" (you can reverse that, if you wish). You can use chopped, high-quality bar chocolate, but good-quality chips will work well in this recipe.

If using candies as your "toppings", choose small versions. Good choices include miniature chocolate kisses, miniature pretzels dipped in chocolate, and Almond Joy or York Peppermint Patty Bites; miniature M & M's are ideal, especially as they add colors to the mix. Bear in mind that you do not want to use hard candies here, and toffee bits are not a good choice as they tend to become sticky. Store the "pizza" in the refrigerator, tightly covered, but bring it to room temperature before cutting and serving it; if you don't, it will crack when sliced.

Ingredients:

Toppings: 2/3 cup EACH of three or four of the following:

• Miniature M & M's
• Miniature chocolate kisses
• Miniature pretzels dipped in chocolate
• Miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped and quartered
• Butterscotch OR peanut butter chips
• Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• Sweetened, flaked coconut
• Toasted, cooled nuts (pecan OR walnut halves or pieces)
• Chopped dried apricots
• Whole or halved pitted dried cherries
• Other suitable candy

Crust:

• 18 ounces good-quality milk OR semisweet chocolate, chopped or as chips
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

Sauce:

• 9 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped or as chips
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

You'll need a 12-1/4 inch diameter pizza pan that is 1/2 inch deep. Use a foil pan (you can cut the pizza right in the pan that way), but be aware they are flimsy enough that you'll need to stack two, one under the other, for stability when you're making this. Measure out Toppings of choice and combine in medium bowl. Mix well. Set aside.

For Crust: Combine chopped chocolate and shortening in large heatproof bowl. Place over simmering water on low heat; stir often until almost smooth. Remove from heat and hot water and dry bowl bottom and sides. Stir until smooth and melted. Pour into pizza pan. With back of large spoon, spread evenly, then run melted chocolate slightly higher up pan edges, leaving a lower area in the center.

For Sauce: Combine chopped chocolate and shortening in medium heatproof bowl. Place over hot water on low heat; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat and hot water; dry bowl bottom and sides. Stir until smooth and melted. By spoonfuls, drizzle melted white chocolate mixture on top of chocolate "crust" to within about 1/2 inch of edges. Don't worry if you don't cover the entire "crust". Use all of the white chocolate mixture. When done, hold pan on opposite sides with both hands; shake in a brisk, circular, back-and-forth motion to level.

Note: You may also make both Crust and Sauce in the microwave. Use microwaveable bowls. Heat chocolate and shortening at 50% (medium) power for one minute, then stir well. Heat at 50% (medium) power for additional short intervals, stirring thoroughly after each, until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from microwave and stir until mixture is melted and smooth.

Without waiting, by small handfuls, sprinkle the Toppings onto the "sauce", again stopping about 1/2 inch away from the edges of the pan. With back of spoon or fork, very gently press Toppings into "sauce".

Chill "pizza" until set, then cover tightly. Store in refrigerator, but allow to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Slicing this can be a little tricky. If you have a large, sturdy, sharp pizza wheel, you can try using that; otherwise, your best bet is a large, sharp, heavy knife. Maneuver the "pizza" out of the pan with a large spatula or two (it should come out of the foil pan very easily) onto a very large cutting board. If your "pizza" is at all cold, or if you try to make thin slices, it may crack when sliced. Score the top heavily where you want to make cuts; do not cut straight down without scoring, or the slices will crack. Once the top has been scored heavily, go back and make your cuts, pressing down all the way through the "crust".

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