Red, White & Blue Fruit Pizza (Our Best Bites)

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/06/red-white-blue-fruit-pizza/


A great dessert for the Fourth of July!

Crust:

1 c. real butter (no substitutions!)
1 c. white sugar
1 egg (make sure to use a large or extra large egg)
1 tsp. almond extract
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
Zest of 1 orange

Creamy Topping:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (light cream cheese is fine)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Pizza Topping:

1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled, sliced, and patted dry
1 pint blueberries, washed and patted dry
1/2 c. dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy–about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  A very important note: It’s important to correctly measure your flour or you will end up with a dry, crumbly dough. Never, ever use your measuring cup to scoop up the flour.  Use a regular sized spoon and spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a knife.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined. Add the orange zest and mix until combined.

Spray a round pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray and using your hands and a rolling pin, spread the dough out to the edges of the pan. If desired, you can add a decorative finish (like fluting) to the edges of the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When ready to bake the crust, preheat your oven to 350. Bake the crust for 18-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and completely baked in the center. If you prefer a crisper crust, you can bake the crust for a longer amount of time. Allow to cool completely.

When the crust is almost cool, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, orange extract, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and combine well.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange the berries as desired over the creamy topping. Place the chocolate chips in a heavy-duty small Ziploc bag and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mashing the bag around until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 12 large servings and 24 smaller servings.