Fruit Pizza — sugar-cookie fruit 'pizza'

i. Origin & history

Fruit pizza emerged in 1970s and 80s American suburbia, particularly associated with Pillsbury sugar-cookie dough. It is the convenient social-occasion dessert: easy to make, visually striking, family-friendly.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 300 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 200 g unsalted butter, soft
• 200 g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 400 g cream cheese
• 100 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 500 g mixed fresh fruit (strawberry, kiwi, blueberry, raspberry, mango)
• 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed

iii. Method

1. Make cookie: cream butter and sugar; beat in egg and vanilla; fold in flour, baking powder, salt.
2. Press into a 30 cm round on a lined tray. Bake at 180 °C for 18-22 min until pale gold; cool.
3. Beat cream cheese with icing sugar and vanilla; spread over the cooled cookie.
4. Arrange sliced fruit decoratively. Brush with warm apricot jam for shine.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Chocolate fruit pizza uses chocolate cookie base. Brownie fruit pizza uses brownie base. Modern fruit pizza uses mascarpone for the cream layer.

vii. More from North American

• Blueberry Muffins — American muffins
• Seven Layer Bars — American magic bars
• Strawberry Shortcake — strawberry sponge
• Fruit Parfait — layered fruit parfait
• Bibingka — Filipino rice cake
• Blueberry Muffins — American muffins