Fruit Pizza with Homemade Crust

 

In order to rid myself of logs of processed food, I decided to whip up a homemade fruit pizza crust.  No nasty hydrogenated oils!  I know I know… we all ate the log with the happy Pillsbury dough man on it as a child.  Then I read the ingredients: flour, sugar and hydrogenated oils with a few small things down at the bottom of the list.  Another plus: it is much easier to roll fresh dough than a log!  I prefer to eat this 1-2 days after making it because then some of the cream cheese mixture oozes into the sugar cookie crust and it is just yummy!

**Just tried off-brand cream cheese and I would advise to go with Philadelphia brand.  The off-brands do not have consistent results for me.  I would go full-fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese on this one.**

*Tip*  It is difficult to spread the gooey cookie dough.  I have tried olive oil sprays, silicone spatulas and everything.  The best thing that has worked for me is a metal offset spatula – like the one you use for frosting cakes and such.  The metal doesn’t even need oiled.  It just slides over easily and is the best method for spreading the gooey cookie dough into a pizza shape.

For the Crust:
1/2c. butter, soft
3/4c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1   1/4c. flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:
1 pkg. cream cheese, soft (8 oz.)*
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups or so of sliced fruit: pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, peaches, mandarin oranges, etc.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.  Combine flour, tartar, baking soda and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients gradually and stir until it makes a dough.  Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Store in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.  The dough should be less sticky and easier to roll.

2. Press dough on greased bar or pizza pan, or floured pizza stone.  Bake 12-16 minutes.  Rotate halfway through baking.  Remove when the edges just start to turn golden brown.  

3. Beat all of topping ingredients together except fruit.  Spread onto cooled crust.   Top with sliced fruit.

 

* I would advise to use regular Philadelphia cream cheese.  “The Cake Bible” and “The Cake Boss” both advise they only use Philadelphia brand for its taste and consistency.  After trying different kinds as well, I would have to agree.

 

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