With winter quickly approaching, many of us jump at any opportunity to relive a precious bit of summer. Some travel to tropical destinations, while others secretly treat their pale bodies to fifteen minutes in a tanning bed. Personally, I find my summer escape in food. Below is a recipe near and dear to my family’s heart, as it ceases to disappoint. Known by many names, a “fruit pizza” is a simple dessert that is beyond aesthetically pleasing. With room to creatively give this dish your own distinctive touch, fruit pizza-making is a great way to get people of all ages into the kitchen to produce something beautiful. Go on and splurge on the overpriced fruit a bit, since it is out of season… once you taste what you have created it will all be worth it!
Ingredients:
– 1 package of sugar cookie dough
– 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
– ½ cup powdered sugar
– An assortment of fresh fruit (Recommended: strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, green grapes)
Directions:
1) Roll out cookie dough in the shape of a pizza onto a greased cookie sheet. Follow baking directions on cookie dough package. This will act as the pizza cookie’s crust. (Note: Do not over-bake cookie crust. Once you see the dough turning light brown, remove it from the oven.)
2) While the crust is baking, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar. This will act as the icing to the pizza cookie. Add additional powdered sugar if you desire a creamier icing.
3) Once the cookie crust has cooled, generously spread the cream cheese frosting over the crust. Decorate the pizza with the chopped fruit in any desired design.
(Suggestion: On occasions, such as the Fourth of July, bake the crust in a rectangle and decorate it like the American flag with strawberries and blueberries. If you are looking for more of a bite-size treat, make individual fruit pizza cookies.)