Pepperoni Pizza Twist

The first time I ever had this recipe, I was at a Pampered Chef party at Miss Amy's house. Wow, it sure was tasty and it took all my self-control not to eat the whole thing myself.

Since then, I have made it for dinner several times. Every once in a while, I make it for Mr. Smith for his lunch. He loves it when I make this for lunch. Most of the time we have a Romaine salad with it, dressed with Olive Oil, lemon juice (from Miss Amy's lemons...thank you very much!), garlic and fresh ground pepper.

There is a handy little video of technique since I know the written instructions can be confusing if you have never made this. Also, I have had trouble finding the French Bread, but have used the Pillsbury Pizza Crust and I actually like it better that way.

Pepperoni Pizza Twist

1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced

1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough

1 egg

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce, warmed (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Dice pepperoni. Chop olives using. Snip parsley using kitchen shears. In a bowl, combine pepperoni, olives, parsley, mozzarella cheese, flour and garlic; mix well.

2. Place bread dough, seam sides up, on smooth side of a cutting board. Using a knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle additional flour evenly over dough. Using a baker's roller, roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down center of each loaf.

3. Spoon half of the pepperoni mixture down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an "X" pattern on a rectangle stone. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure "8," keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of stone and leaving two 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist.

4. Separate egg over small bowl. (Discard yolk or set aside for another use.) Beat egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Using serrated bread knife, cut a 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling.

5. Grate Parmesan cheese over loaf. Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove to cooling rack; cool 10 minutes. Cut into 16 slices. Serve with warm pizza sauce, if desired.

Yield: 16 appetizers or 24 sample servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 160, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 440 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper can be substituted for the olives.