Because Baking is Creative: Fruit Pizza

Every Summer when peaches and strawberries begin to ripen and appear in the Farmers' Markets I get excited about making this summery dessert. It's a Summer staple in my family, I can remember my mom making it for many a fourth of July get-together. I can also remember requesting it in December or January and being very disappointed when my mom explained to me how fruit has a season in which it is best to eat and available, and that our Fruit Pizza was better in the summertime...and then it all made sense...



This is actually a no-bake recipe--only the glaze (to keep the fruit from browning) needs a few minutes on the stove--so it's quite easy. You can make the entire recipe in a 12-inch pan or half of it in a 9-inch pan. This doesn't have to be in a circular pan, by the way, it can be rectangle or square, on metal or glass or a pretty platter. I tried it this time in a tart pan with a removable bottom and in worked perfectly.


Fruit Pizza
Lewis Family Recipe

Pizza:
10 oz. ground shortbread cookies
8 tbsp. soft butter
12 oz. cream chese
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 cups of seasonal fruit of your choice

1. Mix ground shortbread cookies with butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers and press into platter.

2. Beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth and spread over shortbread mixture

3. Arrange 4 cups of fruit of your choice on top. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sugar.

Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1 /2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water

1. Mix sugar, salt and cornstarch and stir into orange juice, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until in boils. Stir for 1 minute. Remove and cool slightly.

2. When glaze is cool enough to touch drizzle over fruit pizza. (Be careful not to let it cool too much because it will become clumpy and not cooperate for the drizzle.)

3. Chill.