Mini calzones

These mini calzones from Food & Wine are fun & delicious. There's just something irresistible about these shrunken pizzas!  You can experiment with different fillings, changing it to suit your taste.  I did half of ours with pesto, ricotta, and pepperoni, and the other half with marinara, ricotta and pepperoni.  We loved both versions, and I served marinara on the side for dipping.  My kids devoured these too, so it's a family friendly meal!

MINI PEPPERONI, RICOTTA AND PESTO CALZONES

Yield: 16 calzones

Ingredients:

DOUGH:

1 cup warm water (110 degrees is ideal for the yeast)

1 tablespoon honey

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

3 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:

1 cup ricotta cheese

4-6 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni, chopped

1/4 cup jarred basil pesto

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water

Olive oil, for frying

Instructions:

MAKE THE DOUGH:

In a large bowl, stir the warm water, honey and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 cup of the flour and stir until a loose batter forms. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour until almost completely incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a work surface with any remaining flour and knead until the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and silky, 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.

FILL THE CALZONES:

Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to a 4-inch round, a scant 1/8 inch thick. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the ricotta on one half of the round, then top with 2 to 4 pepperoni slices and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of the pesto. Fold the dough over to form a half moon and press the edge to seal tightly. Crimp the edge with a fork or pinch at intervals to make pleats. Transfer the calzone to a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make the remaining calzones.

Preheat the oven to 325°.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350°. Fry 4 calzones at a time, turning once, until browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the calzones on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest. Serve hot.

** MAKE AHEAD: The stuffed calzones can be prepared through Step 3 and frozen for up to 1 month. Let the calzones return to room temperature before frying.