Community Corner
A Taste of Europe at the French Market
Little Europe Deli fits right in at Mokena's French-style market, serving up all types of European pastries under its canopy.
Saturday is the final day of the French Market for the season, and we've saved the sweetest for last. The family-owned Little Europe Deli offers a slew of European pastries, including including kolaches, crepes, pies, strudels, coffee cakes, fruit pizzas and bacon-cheese breadsticks.
The deli is located in Westchester, Ill., and owner Jana Ptackova incorporates her Czech heritage into her baking, working with her mother and her son. The small operation is known for its homemade pastries as well as its deli meats, which are not available at the French Market.
Ptackova said she bakes with a full amount of sugar and flavor, and she doesn't attempt to make her sweets any healthier. "Save it for a happy day," she said of her pastries.
Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Ptackova recommended the fruit pizza, saying it was one her most popular items and one that she runs out of quickly. In case you miss out on her fruit pizzas, here's a recipe, based off a recipe from the blog Real Mom Kitchen.
Fruit Pizza
Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Ingredients:
Crust:
¾ cup sugar
½ cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ¾ cup flour
½ cup milk
Topping:
1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese
8 ounces heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup powdered sugar (optional)
Assorted fruit: grapes, kiwi, oranges, berries, peaches, apples, bananas or your preference.
Directions:
For the crust: Blend sugar, shortening and vanilla with a hand mixer. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately until all ingredients are mixed and dough is formed. Chill dough for one hour.
Grease a pizza pan or cover with parchment paper. Press dough into pizza pan and flatten evenly, using your palms or the bottom of cup. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow crust to cool.
For the topping: In a large bowl, blend all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth.
Spread the topping onto the cooled crust, leaving an inch of the edge of the crust uncovered. Arrange fruit on top. Slice like a pizza and serve.
