Candy Shoppe Pizza: an Oldie but Goodie (Yummy too!)

Craving some chocolate?

While "amazing cook" isn't one of the terms I would use to describe my mother, she did have her moments where the kitchen would be filled with delicious smells and my mouth would water.  Her Heaven Bread, Crater Cakes, and the occasional soup du jour always resulted in me going for seconds and sometimes thirds.  However, none of these dishes come close to the one, the only Candy Shoppe Pizza.

 The Candy Shoppe Pizza, a HUGE chocolate chip cookie topped with chocolate peanut butter sauce, cut into 8 slices and finished off with candy toppings of your choosing.  Pure Heaven in your mouth.  Once my mom discovered this recipe, it quickly replaced birthday cakes and was on the menu for many special events. 

 So, when my dad called me up the other day inviting me to a pizza party he was hosting for my youngest sister and 20 of her soccer teammates, the first thing I asked was, "Do they want Candy Shoppe Pizza?" My sister seemed really excited to have it and so I went online and did some research and finally found a recipe that didn't start with "put the purchased cookie dough onto a pizza pan."  Oh no, I wanted to make this dessert from scratch, just like my mom, just like the original.

Padre's Special Homemade Pizza

 
The trick to making a tastebud rocking CSP is to have different types of candy, snickers, twix, M&M's Oreos, Gummmies, etc.  People love this dish because it's a) yummy b) fun to make and c) you decide what goes on it.   I also think it's easier to just sprinkle the chocolate chips and spoon on the Peanut Butter than measuring it out, but to each their own.

"Pizzas" fresh out of the oven and letting the chips melt before spreading the sauce

 Once the Pizza's were cut, the girls were called down and they just attacked the dessert.  It's hard to explain but seeing them all run to the table, sit down, and start building their dessert just filled me with pride and accomplishment.  I was just so happy knowing that something I made was a complete success. 

Making their pizzas!

Looking back, I realize that this idea is one of the many things that defines who my mom was.  She was always thoughtful and creative when it came to hosting and planning events, something I always thought was weird and a waste of time.  Making the dish for 20 high-school girls made me feel closer to her and understand her love of providing other with an amazingly yummy memory.

My girlfriends and I are heading up to Vermont for a girls weekend away in a few weeks. I fully intend to on making Candy Shoppe pizza while there, I wonder what type of wine pairs best with it......