Sonya here. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but no matter your background or religious affiliation, the people of the world are united by a common love of melted cheese. Hence, we developed a crowd-pleasing holiday recipe that's essentially pizza, but in a festive guise. At Delilah & Son, we always have extra pizza dough knocking around, but if you're making this at home, you can use any brand of good-quality pre-made dough.
It may seem strange that I'm recommending using mozzarella sticks for this--the kind you put in a kid's lunchbox--instead of some fancy artisanal cheese. But for this recipe, you want to keep the moisture level low so the dough balls stay crispy.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
- 7 mozzarella sticks
- 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
- Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water)
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, cut into a thin chiffonade
- Marinara, warmed (for serving)
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Cut mozzarella sticks into 1-inch pieces and set aside. If you're me, you'll need one extra mozzarella stick so you can peel off some cheese strands, drape them over your top lip, and walk around the kitchen pretending you have a cheese mustache until Delilah notices and tells you to get back to work.
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On a floured surface, divide pizza dough into two equal pieces. Stretch and roll each piece of dough into a long rectangle, then cut the dough into 2-inch squares (you'll need 30 - 35 squares).
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Wrap a dough square around each piece of mozzarella, forming a tightly sealed ball. Arrange the balls seam-side down on the baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree. You can, of course, make other shapes if you prefer. What you do with your balls in the privacy of your kitchen is your own business and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Brush egg wash on those doughy little balls and bake them until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter, Parmesan, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Brush your balls again! This time with the butter mixture. Sprinkle the basil on top. It's important to serve this warm so that the cheese will have the maximum gooeyness. Add a side of warm marinara for dipping.
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If desired, add chopped bits of pepperoni with the cheese before forming the dough ball.
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I used yellow bell pepper to shape stars and the tree trunk. Cheddar cheese would also be a good choice.
From Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley. Copyright © 2024 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.