The PIZZA HALF-MOONS stuffed with Philadelphia and pesto are a really tasty and delightful appetizer or finger food. Perfect to enjoy at aperitif time or to serve as part of a buffet, they are a dish that always pleases everyone.
Baking them in the oven also makes them definitely lighter. Of course, if you want them softer and more indulgent you can opt for frying.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 194.95 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.02 (g) of which sugars 0.79 (g)
- Proteins 5.17 (g)
- Fat 12.42 (g) of which saturated 0.85 (g)of which unsaturated 0.55 (g)
- Fibers 1.06 (g)
- Sodium 185.71 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 45 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups Type 0 flour (all-purpose flour)
- 2/3 cup water (warm)
- 2 1/2 tsp fresh baker's yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 7 oz fresh spreadable cheese (cream cheese)
- 1 tbsp Genoese pesto (pesto alla Genovese)
- to taste sesame seeds
- to taste poppy seeds
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Round cookie cutter 4 in
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Rolling pin
Steps
Preparing the PIZZA HALF-MOONS WITH PHILADELPHIA AND PESTO is very easy.
First of all, thoroughly dissolve the yeast and the sugar in the warm water. In a bowl place the flour and the oil, then add the yeast dissolved in the water.
Combine all the ingredients and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Then add the salt and continue kneading until you obtain a smooth dough that is not too sticky.
Place it in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place (an oven turned off with the light on) for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.After the rising time, roll the dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch and cut out circles with a diameter of 4 inches.
In a bowl mix the spreadable cheese with the pesto.
Fill each dough circle with the Philadelphia and pesto mixture.Fold them like a ravioli, helping yourself with the tines of a fork. To be sure they don’t open during baking you can moisten the inner edges with a little water so the dough seals well.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover them with more plastic wrap and let them rise again for 30 minutes.
After the second rise, brush the half-moons with oil and decorate them with sesame and poppy seeds.
Bake the half-moons in a preheated conventional oven at 392°F for 20 minutes, or until golden.Once the pizza half-moons are cooked, remove them from the oven and enjoy them hot.
VARIATION
An alternative, less light but certainly tastier option is deep-frying in plenty of peanut oil.
TIPS
If you don’t eat them all immediately you can reheat them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds; they will become soft again as if just baked.
