Fruit pizza is kind of old school, I know, but it is one of my favorite desserts. It is a slice of heaven on a plate. A crust of soft sugar cookie with a sauce of the perfect blend of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla; topped with sweet fruits, and finished with an orange-pineapple glaze. Yum. When the spring fruits start appearing and going on sale in all the stores, I always think of this dessert.

Fruit pizza has some basic elements, but it is totally customizable. Add or remove the fruits of your choice. Add a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Make it round or rectangular or square. Make mini ones or one giant one. Put the fruit on randomly or be as compulsively organized and symmetrical as you want to be. It is up to you. It can be your work of art. As for myself, I almost always make it round–pizza is round, so fruit pizza should be round is how I see it I guess. Last 4th of July I made it a rectangle to resemble the flag and decorated with only red, white, and blue (strawberries, the cream cheese layer showing through, and blueberries). When I made it for a large group gathered at a MOPS breakfast, I made mini pizzas by making individual sugar cookies and then topping them with the sauce and fruits. I change up the fruits depending on my consumers, but strawberries, kiwi, and grapes are pretty much the constants. Whatever you decide to do, the results will be beautiful and delicious.

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 tube of refrigerated sugar cookie dough (or make your favorite sugar cookie recipe–a drop style recipe would be best; I have used my roll-out dough, but it is not quite the same texture as the tube. In this case, I actually prefer the refrigerated.)
• 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese (you can use regular or 1/3 less fat)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Sliced fruits of your choice (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin orange slices, grapes, kiwi, etc.)
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how thick you want it to be–I prefer about a tablespoon)

Directions:

1. Make and cool the crust: Line a pizza pan or other baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tube of sugar cookie dough into (1/2 inch or so) slices, arrange the slices in a single layer on a pan, and then press the slices together to fill in any gaps and make a solid crust. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Make sure the center of the cookie has baked. Cool completely. Note: Err on the side of over-baking rather than under-baking here because the crust will soften up with the sauce and other toppings.
2. Make the glaze: While the crust is baking and cooling, make the glaze. In a small pot, blend the juice and cornstarch and cook over medium heat until thickened to your liking. Cool.
3. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, blend softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until thoroughly combined and smooth.
4. Assemble the pizza: Cut your desired fruits into slices. Spread sauce evenly on the cooled cookie crust. Top with fruits in the pattern of your choice. Drizzle glaze over the fruit layer (you may have extra). Cover and chill until ready to serve.

   

   

   

    

5. Note: Fruit pizza is best when eaten the day it is made. The crust will start to get soggy after the first day.

   

   

    

Source: Covenant Sampler cookbook from Dassel, MN. The recipe is credited to my aunt Sandy.

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Category: Cookies, Desserts Tags: cream cheese, fruit, sugar cookie

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