mini onion and feta pizzas & a virtual baby shower!

I can't think of a better way to brighten up this gloomy Monday morning than with a party!

Today Brandy and Brandi are hosting a baby shower for the extremely lovely Rachel of Rachel Cooks who is expecting the arrival of a baby boy in just a few short weeks.  

Rachel is one of the sweetest and one of the most hard-working bloggers that I know. In addition to suffering terrible morning sickness and being a busy mother to her little girl, Rachel has organised, amongst other things, a month-long pancake extravaganza and the first Taste of Michigan food-bloggers event. Plus she's the only person I know who loves spreadsheets quite as much as I do. 

Quite obviously, the best thing about any party is the food. I've talked before about my abiding love for party food, especially at this time of year. I could quite happily live on tiny quiches, cocktail sausages and vol-au-vents for the rest of my life (especially if they are accompanied by a glass of something fizzy).

My contribution to today's party is these easy-to-eat-with-one hand little pizzas (made with spelt flour) topped with sweet and sticky caramelised onions and a salty kick of feta cheese.

A quick word on the pizza dough. The recipe for a kefir-soaked spelt pizza crust comes from my friend Shanna who writes Food Loves Writing, one of my very favourite blogs (and, as an aside, has just realised her first ebook about how she started her blog and how she met her husband. Like everything that Shanna writes though it's really about so much more than that).

This pizza crust is probably the most delicious pizza crust I've ever eaten; it's certainly the best crust I've ever made at home. As delicious as the combination of onion and feta is, I found myself scraping off the toppings on a couple so I could just eat the base.

So, Rachel, I hope you enjoy this baby shower. I am so happy for you and your family and I can't wait to 'meet' your little man!

To see what the other guest brought along to this baby shower, please check out the links below:

Savoury
Susan from 30A Eats is bringing southern cheese straws
Kita from Pass the Sushi is bringing sweet potato soup with maple cream
Jamie from Thrifty Veggie Mama is bringing roasted butternut squash and sage pesto crostini
Marnely from Cooking with Books is bringing curried salmon phyllo cups
Krista from Budget Gourmet Mom is bringing baby blue cheese burgers
Mackenzie from Susie Freaking Homemaker is bringing cucumber sandwiches
Shelby from Diabetic Foodie is bringing cranberry citrus meatballs
Sarah from Sarah's Cucina Bella is bringing apple asiago prosciutto bites
Sheila from eat2gather is bringing chicken salad

Popcorn
Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny is bringing s'mores popcorn
Brandi from BranAppetit is bringing bourbon toffee popcorn
Cassie from Bake Your Day is bringing salted caramel cashew popcorn
Carrie from Bakeaholic Mama is bringing salted caramel popcorn bars

Cookies
Jessie from Bread and Butter is bringing paleo pumpkin whoopie pies
Tara from Chip Chip Hooray is bringing itty bitty chocolate thumbprint cookies
Liz from The Lemon Bowl is bringing hermit bars

Heather from Farmgirl Gourmet is bringing dark chocolate cashew brittle cookies

Cake

Barb of Creative Culinary is bringing patchwork baby quilt cupcakes

Amanda from Fake Ginger is bringing snickerdoodle scones
Donna from Cookistry is bringing walnut streusel coffee cake
Sommer from A Spicy Perspective is bringing turtle pumpkin ice cream cake

Sweets
Erin from The Spiffy Cookie is bringing sweet potato pie dip with pie crust dippers
Milisa from Miss in the Kitchen is bringing white chocolate biscoff muddy buddies
Deborah from Taste and Tell is bringing blue layered jello
Carrian from Sweet Basil is bringing mini blackberry pies
Jennifer from Mother Thyme is bringing pumpkin cinnamon rolls
Stephanie from Steph's Bite by Bite is bringing baby blueberry pies on a stick

~

Mini onion and feta pizzas

Pizza dough from Food Loves Writing

Topping adapted from 'Finger Food' (A Marks & Spencer Essentials Collection book)

Yield: 16 mini pizzas

Ingredients

• 1/2 spelt pizza crust (I made the whole amount (using yogurt rather than kefir) and froze what was left)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced thinly
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegat
• 55g (2 oz) feta cheese (or goat's cheese or any other cheese that you like!)
• Fresh thyme, to serve

Cooking Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes until they are translucent and just starting to turn golden brown. Add the sugar and cook for 5 minutes or so. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5-10 minutes. The onions should be sticky with a chutney-like consistency. Set the onion mixture aside to cool.
2. When you're ready to make the pizzas, preheat your oven to 180C/350F (fan) and grease a baking tray with some olive oil.
3. Divide the dough into 16 small balls and flatten with your fingers.
4. Place the pizza dough on the baking tray, top with a teaspoon of onions and some crumbled cheese.
5. Bake for 10 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
6. Scatter with fresh thyme if desired and serve hot or cold.