Lemon Berry Fruit Pizza

SUGAR COOKIE CRUST

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of ½ lemon

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

TOPPING

8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Zest of ½  lemon (don’t toss that lemon! See below for a special use)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Assorted fresh fruit, about 3 cups (I used raspberries, blueberries and strawberries)

To make the crust, in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides as needed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. Once completely combined, cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray or line a baking sheet with parchment. Remove chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator and press onto the pan in an even flat circle, as pictured above. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Allow crust to cool completely before decorating. As the crust cools, slice the strawberries.  

To make the topping, in a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Spread in a thick layer over the cooled sugar cookie crust. Decorate with fruit.

Cut into slices and serve. Fruit pizza may be made 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and stored in the refrigerator before serving. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com

Using that leftover lemon: Have a dirty microwave? Slice your zested lemon in half. In a small bowl, add ½ cup water, juice each half of the lemon into the bowl of water, add the leftover halves into the bowl, pop into the microwave and run for 3 minutes. Then, do not open the door! Let sit for an additional 5 minutes. The oils and acid from the lemon and steam from the water will condense to the sides of your microwave’s interior. After 5 minutes, remove the bowl (do not throw away the lemon yet!) and wipe the interior of the microwave with a clean dry cloth. Works great getting that grime off! Now, the lemon rinds are soften, simply run them through your garbage disposal with a steady stream of warm water to freshen it up as well! If you don’t have a disposal, the lemons will nicely scent your garbage until the next time you take it out!