Perfect Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Crust:
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, optional (but delicious)
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ¼ cup (57 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (200 g) powdered sugar
- Pinch salt
Fruit:
- Fresh strawberries, cut in half or quarters
- Fresh blueberries
- Red grapes, cut in half
- Kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into triangles
- Canned mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry
- Canned pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained and patted dry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan (a rimmed baking sheet about 11X17-inches) with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment with cooking spray. See note for alternate pan sizes.
- For the sugar cookie crust: in large bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar with an electric handheld or stand mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix until no dry streaks remain (don't overmix).
- Press the dough into a rectangle shape in the center of the pan, about 10X14-inches. It doesn't have to be exact, just make sure it is fairly evenly thick throughout so it bakes evenly.
- Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until just baked. It should be soft and not overly brown around the edges. Don't over bake. Let the crust cool completely.
- For the frosting: in a medium bowl, add the butter and cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until smooth, 30-60 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and pinch of salt, and mix until well-combined and light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread the frosting evenly on the cooled sugar cookie crust, leaving a thin border. Arrange fruit on top of the pizza. Chill in the refrigerator until serving. The fruit colors can bleed into the frosting, so it's best to serve within 1-2 hours of making the fruit pizza.
Notes
Pan Size: a 9X13-inch pan can be used in place of the half sheet pan (the crust will be slightly thicker and take a bit longer to bake) or a circle pizza pan can be used. I would not suggest using a baking stone.
Cream Cheese: full fat cream cheese works best in the frosting recipe; light cream cheese can be used but will make the consistency of the frosting runnier.
Fruit: the fruit given in the recipe is just a suggestion! The sky is the limit with other fruit options. Use ripe, fresh fruit that isn't overly juicy and will hold its shape. For canned fruit, make sure to drain well and pat very dry with paper towels.