#27: Fruit Pizza

FINALLY. I have been waiting months to try this recipe. As a kid, my mom would occasionally make this treat for our family, and we always loved it (although sometimes my brother would argue for NOT putting the fruit on the pizza... nice). If I had thought it out, I would've asked my mom for our family recipe before leaving for Utah again... unfortunately, I didn't, so I scoured the internet looking for something close to what I remember mom making. This pizza is fairly close, and the results were practically as delicious (I say practically because NOTHING can compare to mom's baking). Sugar cookie crust, cream cheese "sauce," and a wonderful glaze... I could eat this stuff all day, every day, that good.

#27: Fruit Pizza (as found on Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (this is the only fruit listed in the recipe, but I also used raspberries, blueberries, kiwis, and nectarines)

1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice cookie dough and arrange on greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.


     - After reading the comments on Allrecipes.com about this particular recipe, I decided to keep the cookie crust in the oven much longer, since a few of the comments said that the cream cheese spread would cause the cookie to become soggy. I kept mine in for 27 minutes, which in hindsight is a little too long. I would recommend keeping the crust in for 22-25 minutes or so, that way the crust is browned, but not overly crunchy like mine ended up.

2. In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.
     - The comments board also recommended using a little marshmallow fluff to give the spread a little substance, that way it wouldn't just melt all over the place when it was sitting on the counter, waiting to be served. I ended up using all of the cream cheese, 3/4ths of the cool whip, and about 1 1/2 cups of marshmallow fluff. I did end up having to use an electric mixer to actually get the fluff to fold into the other two ingredients, because as soon as the fluff hit the cold whipped topping and cream cheese, it hardened pretty badly. Using a mixer was the only way to get it to incorporate.

3. Begin with strawberries, sliced in half. Arrange in a circle around the outside edge. Continue with fruit of your choice, working towards the middle. If bananas are used, dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken. 
 
4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.
     - Again, I didn't see the point of buying an orange if I was only going to use a little of the peel, so I left it out, and the glaze turned out wonderfully.

There you have it. A fairly easy recipe, and a beautiful one at that. If you carefully arrange the fruit, the pizza almost turns out too pretty to eat... ALMOST too pretty.