Fruit Dessert Pizza

During the summer it seems like people are always have gatherings, cookouts, bbq’s and of course going on vacation.  All of these fun, summer events involve food.  Savory foods are always easier to think of, but desserts seem to be a bit more of a challenge.  A lot of people don’t want to stand over a hot stove on a hot day, and others don’t want to take the time to measure, whip and beat the ingredients.  For this reason, it seems like dessert is either done away with or a trustee gallon (or 3) of ice cream is brought out.  While there is absolutely nothing wrong with ice cream, I do like to try to think outside the box to come up with some tasty desserts that are quick and festive.

Once the end of April roles around, summer vacation is on every kids brain, and rightfully so; it’s been a long, hard school year.  Quick and easy meals are definitely the topic of conversation during summer and vacation.  I, personally, love helping with the menu planning and meal preparation while we’re on vacation.  As important as a meal is, I also like to have some sweets on hand, but when you’re in a condo supplies are limited and specialty kitchen tools are most likely out of the picture.  So quick and easy is the name of the game.

Just because the foods are simple, doesn’t mean that they can’t be fun and delicious.  I’ve taken a simple and basic fruit pizza and made it into a fun summer dessert that would be perfect at the beach or poolside.  The beach ball dessert pizza is delicious, sweet and is sure to not weigh you down.  It’s a simple sugar cookie crust, topped with a marshmallow cream cheese sauce and then given a hefty does of fruit toppings that are in sections to replicate a beach ball.  While I love this fun, summer twist this recipe can be made with whatever fruits you have on and are in season.  There is definitely no written rule that says it has to be sectioned off either, scatter various fruits all over the pizza or just stick with a single fruit, the options are endless and your imagination is the limit.  My brain is already racing with other varations that I want to try. 

Fruit Dessert Pizza

Ingredients:

For the crust-
1 recipe for sugar cookie dough, or one tube of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

For the “sauce”-
1 (8oz) block cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 Cup (1 small container) marshmallow cream

Fore the fruit-
1 Heaping cup blueberries
3/4 Cup fresh pineapples, chopped
3/4 Cup strawberries, chopped
1 Kiwi, skin removed and chopped
1 Peach, skin removed and chopped (toss in 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent discoloring)
1/4 Cup marshmallows

Directions:

For the crust-
Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 12 inch round pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread the cookie dough in an even layer on the prepared pan.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 18-24 minutes, until edges begin turn light golden.  Remove the cookie from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the sauce-
Place cream cheese in a small bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add the marshmallow cream and beat on medium high until combined, about 45-60 seconds.

To assemble-
Spread the marshmallow cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled cookie crust. 

To assemble, making it look like a beach ball, first make light indentations with a knife in the marshmallow cream to mark off sections.  Draw a circle close to the top center of the crust, next mark the different sections for the colored portions of the ball.  Next, fill each section with fruit, filling the larger sections with the blueberries and strawberries and fill the center circle with marshmallows.  Serve immediately.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original