A Feast for the Soul and Stomach

Epiphany Recipes: Pizza Skins & Apple Cider Whiskey Cake for a Delicious Celebration

This past Monday I had the privilege of celebrating Epiphany for the first time. In faith traditions marked by high church and liturgical calendars, the 12 days of Christmas culminate on Epiphany, which falls on January 6th or the Sunday closest to it. It is a significant feast in the liturgical calendar marking the revelation of Jesus Christ to the wider world. Famously associated with the visit of the Magi, or Wise Men, this day symbolizes the manifestation of Christ as the Savior of all nations, not solely Israel. As a key moment in the Christian liturgy, Epiphany invites us to reflect on Jesus as the light of the world who guides all who seek Him as pointed out in His own words in John 8:12, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (NIV)

Giotto's Adoration of the Magi masterfully portrays the awe and reverence of the Magi as they offer their gifts to the newborn Christ. A stunning representation of Epiphany, symbolizing Christ’s revelation to the world.

Epiphany invites us to pause and reflect on the profound mystery of the Incarnation—the moment when God chose to step into the world in the form of Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals the heart of God’s love for humanity through His life, teachings, and presence, which we meditate upon during this sacred day. The Incarnation is a cornerstone of our faith, showing that the Creator, in His infinite mercy, humbled Himself to walk among us. As Philippians 2:6-8 beautifully reminds us, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!" (NIV) In doing so, He made His divine nature known and offered salvation through His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus, fully God and fully human, embraced the fullness of human experience—joy, sorrow, pain, and suffering—yet remained sinless, offering a perfect example of love and grace. Epiphany, then, is not just a celebration of a historical event but a reminder of the light of Christ that continues to guide and transform our lives.

My enthusiasm for this holy day overflowed, and my oven worked tirelessly as I prepared a feast worthy of the occasion. While holding reverence in my heart and taking this occasion seriously, I couldn’t help but indulge my silly side referring to this dish as an “Epiphanizza” in a poor Italian accent complete with the hand gesture. There’s a reason why the good people of the World Wide Web refer to me as God’s silliest goose. And while my friend

Emily Zanotti

would have likely cringed at my accent, I’d like to think she would have enjoyed this meal. Be sure to follow her for more delicious recipes.

Did you miss last week’s installment in the hustle and bustle? Catch it here!

Pizza Skins Recipe

This is not a recipe blog for a reason. I make random, delicious food that often turns out well—sometimes thanks to my dear husband’s intervention—and other times it takes me right back to that first year of marriage feeling. Despite offers to be a personal chef and having worked in fancy kitchens in New England during my nanny career, I’m just a wife trying her best. I'm here to set realistic expectations. The good news is that if I can do this, you absolutely can too.

This is my take on the famous Uno's pizza skins recipe, a dish from Uno Pizzeria & Grill, a beloved Chicago-based chain serving up deep-dish delights since 1943. If you haven’t heard of it, know it’s primarily in the Midwest and East Coast. Uno’s, founded by Ike Sewell, is credited with inventing the iconic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, and the pizza skins have become a signature appetizer for the brand. After some extensive research (read: I tracked down this recipe from those who were lucky enough to get it directly from the founder himself), I’ve taken a few creative liberties to adapt it for the average home chef—aka, people like me, who sometimes have more enthusiasm than actual kitchen skills. I’ve edited it to make it slightly less fancy and more doable (sorry, Ike). It’s delicious, fun to make, and guaranteed to bring a taste of Uno’s right into your kitchen, no fancy restaurant kitchen is required! This is not an average weeknight dinner, but it is worth the effort on the rare occasion especially when you want to break out your KitchenAid mixer.

Here is the full pizza skin after taking off the band from the springform pan

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to finally make this. One of my initial hesitations was that it requires a springform pan. I’m more of a cupcake and cookies kind of girl, so I didn’t have one until I became obsessed with crafting this dish in my kitchen. But once Kyle spotted one in the infamous “aisle of shame” at Aldi, I had no more excuses—just plans. For reference, this is a 7-inch pan. We each had half and were incredibly full. Like I said, I went a bit overboard, but he was so happy and my tastebuds were, too. We ended up cuddling after dinner talking about Jesus and reading Matthew 2:1-12.

The following is a recipe you should read in its entirety before you plan to make it.

Before we begin, here's a decision you'll need to make: will you go with the convenience of microwaveable Bob Evans mashed potatoes, or will you make mashed potatoes from scratch? Depending on which option you choose, adjust the recipe accordingly. For this version, we’re using the container of mashed potatoes for a more cost-effective and time-saving approach.

Dough Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups (18.0 ounces) All-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cup (11.0 ounces) water

• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) Yellow cornmeal

• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) Unsalted Butter (melted but not hot)

• 1 teaspoon (0.25 ounce) Sugar

• 1 teaspoon (0.38 ounce) Table Salt

• 2 1/4 teaspoons (0.25 ounce) Active dry yeast

Additional Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (8 oz.) Bacon

• 2 Tablespoons (0.5 ounces) Parmesan cheese

• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) of shredded cheese [we used mild cheddar]

• 1 pint of sour cream for dipping

You’ll want to prep the dough 24 hours before baking.

Prepping the Dough: 24 hours prior

• Add the sugar, water, yeast, and salt into a mixing bowl.

• Leave to proof for about 5 minutes. It should be foamy before you continue on.

• Add the flour and cornmeal either a cup or half a cup at a time. This will ensure smooth incorporation. If you leave adding the cornmeal until the end your mixer will end up with two separate balls which is an annoyance best avoided.

• Mix on low speed for a few minutes until the dough comes together, then slowly add the butter. Continue to mix dough for 7 more minutes.

  • When the dough is ready it should hold together and the mixing bowl should be clean on the sides.

• The dough should be smooth, slightly tacky, and weigh about two pounds. Shape it into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a dish towel, then refrigerate overnight to rise.

If not using store-bought mashed potatoes, ensure they’re prepped.

Prepping the Dish: 1 hour prior

• Remove the bowl from the refrigerator about one hour before making the pizza.

  • This is a great time to cook the bacon! We used half a pack, cooked to a level that can be easily crumbled or chopped, but not too crispy since it will cook further on the pizza. Make your bacon the way you normally do.

• Set the bottom oven rack to its lowest position and preheat your oven to 450° F for at least 30 minutes before baking.

• While the oven is preheating you’ll want to heat the Bob Evans mashed potatoes as the instructions direct.

• Once your potatoes are done, incorporate half the bacon and some cheese to maximize the “bite ratio”—that’s what my husband referred to it as, anyway!

• Oil the pan and shape the crust in the deep dish pan.

  • You’ll want to use avocado oil as it has a higher smoke point

    • Avocado oil has a higher smoke point (520°F) compared to olive oil (375-410°F), with extra virgin olive oil being on the lower end of that range. Avocado oil is better suited for high-heat cooking at 450°F, as it may degrade and develop off-flavors with prolonged exposure to heat.

  • Do not grease the sides, the dough will slip down instead of baking up tall.

  • The recipe above makes enough dough for a 15" deep-dish pan. We used about half of it. If you're using a pan similar to mine, the other half can be used to make two pizzas. You can freeze the extra for later, or repurpose it to make dinner rolls later in the week.

Final Stretch: Crafting This Recipe

• Once the oven is appropriately pre-heated par-bake (partially bake the dough for about 15-20 minutes, just until the crust begins to set but is not fully cooked, to ensure it holds its shape when fully baked) the dough.

• Remove from the oven to fill the shell.

  • If you got a little too excited and shoved in too much dough because it’s your first time making this, don’t worry! You (or, in my case, your husband) can simply cut out the excess dough from the center, leaving about an inch or two around the edges to keep the integrity of the shell intact.

• Generously sprinkle a heaping handful of shredded cheddar cheese over the crust. Then, dollop the warm mashed potatoes into the crust and spread them evenly. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar and bacon. For an extra touch of flavor, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese on top, if you like.

• Paint the crust with a teaspoon of softened butter, it truly makes a difference!

• Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are heated through, the cheese is melted, and crust is golden brown.

• Let it rest for 5 minutes and then cut it up and serve it with sour cream for dipping

  • If you make it, tag me at ShesBasedBabe with the pictures!

Kyle tells me this is called the “money shot.” Please tell me in the comments if that’s accurate!

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Apple Cider Whiskey Cake

We have this little guideline in our house no sweets allowed, simply the ingredients to make them. It’s a genius move psychologically because it means I have to actually bake something with love if I want to satisfy my sweet tooth, instead of just mindlessly raiding the kitchen. It makes snacking much more intentional. I’ve always appreciated a good whiskey cake—though I’ll admit, I once made one so drenched in booze that I couldn’t eat a half slice without getting a buzz. But I learned from that batch and have improved as a baker. We’re also fans of apple cider cakes in this family. I couldn’t decide what kind to make until I was inspired by the whiskey in the freezer and made an apple cider whiskey cake. This cake was so good that my husband kept sneaking into the kitchen to eat the batter! However, due to the size of the pan, we still had enough for two cakes.

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 softened block of cream cheese

• 1 softened stick of butter

• 1 sprinkle of table salt

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

• 3 cups of powdered sugar (sifted)

• 1/3 cup of Crown Royale apple whiskey (or whatever apple whiskey you prefer/have on hand)

Frosting Directions

• Cream the block of cream cheese and the stick of butter together

• Add the sprinkle of salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon and continue mixing

• Add 1/3 cup of apple whiskey and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and continue mixing

• Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until you’ve achieved your desired consistency

• Mix on medium for 5 minutes, ensuring you scrape the sides of your bowl if your attachment doesn’t mix it for you, and then mix until it’s all combined

Apple Cider Whiskey Cake Ingredients

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup of whiskey

• 1 cup of apple cider

• 1 can of fried apples

• 1/2 cup of melted butter

  • a whole stick melted

• Aldi’s Baker Corner Yellow Cake Mix

• a sprinkle of cinnamon (measure with your heart)

• a sprinkle of cream of tartar (measure with your heart)

Apple Cider Whiskey Cake Ingredients

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for metal and glass pans or 325 degrees for dark or coated pans. Generously grease pans if nonstick.

• Blend cake mix, melted butter, eggs, apple cider, and whiskey on low.

• Mix fried apples, cinnamon, and cream of tartar on medium until the only lumps remaining are from the apples.

• If using a 13″x9″ pan, bake for 23-28 minutes. Bake for 26-31 minutes in two 8″ round layer pans. Bake for 23-28 minutes in two 9″ round layer pans. Bake for 18-21 minutes for cupcakes (fill 1/2 full). Bake for 33-36 minutes in a 10″ or fluted tube pan. Add 3-5 minutes to bake time for dark or coated pans.

• The cake is finished when a toothpick inserted in the center can be cleanly removed. Cool the cake in the pan for 10-20 minutes (25 minutes for a tube pan). Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool with the top side up. Frost when completely cooled. Store loosely covered.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Freda Donnelly newsletter. Ensure you’re subscribed so we can keep up with each other in and out of the kitchen!

What’s your funniest cooking blunder? What’s your favorite type of cake to make? Does your faith tradition celebrate Epiphany? Tell me in the comments below so that we may continue the conversation!