Fruit Pizza

There are hundreds of ways to make fruit pizza, but I prefer this recipe. I dislike the recipes which call for the ‘glaze’ over the fruit. Yes, it keeps the fruit from turning color — but it also makes the dessert too sweet, in my opinion.

Instead, I choose to only use fruits that won’t color. This time around I did a red/white/blue theme for Memorial Day, using strawberries and blueberries. But really, the sky’s the limit (as long as you don’t count bananas and apples or anything that turns brown when exposed to air as part of that limit!)

I’ve had it with blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple,sliced peaches, kiwi, seedless grapes, raspberries, blackberries, etc and they’re all delicious.

Be creative! Have fun!

Lastly, my mom used to make this recipe in a round pizza pan, and then ‘fan’ each layer of fruit out from the center. It makes for an awesome presentation, but can be expensive to purchase all that fruit. Instead, I normally cut the slices before I put the fruit on, and then I’ll decorate each ‘piece’ based on the fruit I’ve chosen to add.  Additionally, I find it easier to cut and serve at parties if I make it on a cookie sheet — so that’s normally the route I go.

Fruit Pizza

(Family Recipe)

1 package (20 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough (*Note that Pillsbury’s packaging has gotten smaller over the years. A roll of Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough is now 16.5 oz. Rather than suffering through a thin crust, I generally use 1.5 rolls of their dough. You could, of course, make your own from scratch, if so inclined.)

8 oz. softened cream cheese (you can use low fat, but I’ve never tried it with non fat)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract (almond is also delicious)

Directions

– Press dough into a 14″ round pizza pan (or a standard, sided cookie sheet. Mine is just slightly larger than 13×9…maybe 14 or 15×10?)

– Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and puffed. Cool completely.

– Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together using an electric mixer, until well blended. Spread over cooled cookie.

– Layer your fruit of choice over the cream cheese mixture, and refrigerate. Remember to keep this dessert very cool if you’re serving it at a picnic. Travel with it in a cooler with ice, and make sure it doesn’t sit out all day. It’s really best right from the fridge!

Strawberry Pie

I like Eat n Park’s Strawberry Pie. There…I’ve admitted it.

It’s the only “restaurant” or “store” quality pie I actually get hungry for. But the biggest reason for that is I’ve never been able to make one that’s QUITE as good as theirs.

I came across this Strawberry Pie recipe last week, on my yearly search (during local strawberry season, of course) for a new one to try and beat Eat n Park at their own game.

This one is AWFULLY close. I think if I’d have included less strawberries in the pie, the strawberry-to-strawberry-gel ratio would’ve been perfect.

Regardless, this is delicious. If strawberries are in season, or are coming into season where you live, do yourself a favor: stop by a roadside stand, or a farmer’s market, and pick up 2 quarts and give this a try.  It’s delicious!

Strawberry Pie

(Taste of the South, by way of Sassafras Cafe)

1 baked and ready-to-fill single pie crust (make your own, use Pillsbury, whatever)

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

1 tsp strawberry extract (I omitted this; I didn’t want to buy it JUST for this recipe, and Tammy at Sassafras Cafe said it really doesn’t affect the pie)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 (3 oz) package strawberry gelatin

2 quarts fresh strawberries; hulled and sliced in half

Directions

– Place sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and whisk until completely combined

– Add the boiling water and extracts to the sugar/cornstarch, and turn the burner on medium heat. Whisk the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and the sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes for me)

– Remove from heat and add the gelatin; whisking until the mixture is smooth

– Cool mixture to room temperature before proceeding

– Next, arrange the strawberries in the baked pie shell, and pour the cooled gelatin filling over the strawberries

– Refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely set

– Can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days

– Kelly’s Note:Be careful, when you bake your pie shell. Sometimes when baking a single pie shell it is recommended to prick holes in the bottom and sides with a fork. If you do that with this recipe, your gelatin will leak through the bottom and sides of your crust when you fill it. Instead, consider filling your pie crust with dried beans, or some other form of baking your shell without punching holes in it.

Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries

Last Friday, DH showed me an ad for a restaurant on the other side of town and said it was a shame we had to go over there to get delicious stuffed french toast (they were advertising it).

I told him we didn’t; we could have it at home! We had homemade bread leftover, so I picked up some cream cheese and strawberries.

Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries

(Me)

For strawberries:

1 qt. strawberries, sliced

2-4 tbsp sugar

– Mix sugar and strawberries and place in the fridge. I like to do this the night before, so there is plenty of delicious strawberry juice for on the french toast

For the french toast:

4-6 slices of bread (can make more if you have more people to feed)

5-6 eggs

3/4 cup of milk

sprinkling of cinnamon

1 tsp of vanilla

Directions

– Mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla together and place in a shallow dish(like a pie plate)

– Heat your griddle or skillet for medium heat
– Soak your slices of bread; taking care to leave them in long enough that they’re completely saturated

– Cook each slice as your space permits (obviously a griddle cooks more at once than a skillet!)

The important stuffing part:

1 8oz block of cream cheese, room temperature (low fat is fine. it’s what i used)

Directions

– Gently blend the cream cheese so that it is light and fluffy and easier to spread

– As your toast slices come off the griddle/skillet, slather one piece with cream cheese, and sandwich it with another piece of french toast

– Drizzle strawberry juice and strawberries over top

– If you’re not ravenous by this point, you can add powdered sugar or whipped cream, but we didn’t make it that far!

I’d say each person only needs one of these sandwiches. I couldn’t even finish mine!

Strawberry Cream Dessert

Sometimes, DH sees recipes, and brings them home to me to try. Since it’s difficult to get him to tell me what he’d like me to make more of sometimes, I usually make anything he brings home as a request.

This was one of his requests, taken from a local ‘free’ newspaper called The Merchandiser. All the while I was making it, it sort of reminded me of my strawberry pretzel salad…I guess it was the use of jello and fruit.

There’s a lot of ‘processed’ foods in this, but oh well. I’m far from a purist.

Strawberry Cream Dessert

(Local newspaper)

*Note from the recipe: This cool and elegant dessert will serve a crowd. You could use the chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos), for the crust if you’d like, but I think the golden variety is really nice.

30 Golden Vanilla Sandwich Cookies (Golden Oreos)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (6 oz.) package Strawberry Jell-O

1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 (6 oz.) can pineapple-orange juice (DH and I had a conversation that they USED to sell these 6 oz. cans of juice similarly to how they sell mango and pineapple juice in the ethnic sections nowadays. I had no luck finding these little cans, so I just bought myself a 64-oz. Dole Orange-Pineapple juice in the OJ section, and had tons left over for drinking/smoothies)

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups mashed or pureed strawberries (about 3 cups if you’re using whole berries)

1 (8 oz.) tub of Cool Whip, thawed

Directions

– Crush the sandwich cookies by placing in a heavy-duty plastic zip bag and pounding with a rolling pin (I would think a food process would do this much easier/faster/cleaner)

– Place crumbs in a 9″x13″ glass baking dish and pour melted butter over it.

– Mix well with a fork, and press the buttered crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Set aside

– In a large bowl (seriously…use a HUGE BOWL), combine gelatin with the boiling water, and stir until the gelatin mixture completely dissolves.

– Add the pineapple-orange juice, and the cold water, and stir well. Add the strawberry puree and mix.

– Refrigerate until the mixture becomes a bit thicker (about 10-15 minutes)

– Using a wire whisk, stir the thawed Cool Whip into the mixture until smooth

– Chill in the refrigerator for another 10-20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens a bit more but is not set

– Pour over the crumb crust in the baking dish, cover, and chill for 4 hours or until set

– Dessert can also be frozen

– Serves 12-16

Velvet Crumb Cake

We’ve had some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Florida strawberries in our local farmers market lately, and its such a nice pick-me-up from all the cold weather, snow, and ice. I think DH and I have been through 5 quarts in 2 weeks!

What with all of this happy strawberry deliciousness, I thought I should share my favorite way to eat strawberries…

I grew up eating strawberries and shortcake, like most people. But after I met my DH, his mother introduced me to Velvet Crumb Cake.

I’ve never looked back.

I scoff at your shortcake! Your shortcake has nothing on the velvet crumb!

This cake is amazing. The recipe was originally a whole cake that had nothing to do with strawberries (I’ll post the Honey Crisp Topping that’s supposed to go on it at the bottom of this post), but somewhere along the line, the cake-sans-topping became the most delicious accoutrement to fresh strawberries that I’d had in a long time!

I didn’t photograph it the way I like to eat it, because it’s not the prettiest thing: I like to put a slice of this cake in a bowl, top it with strawberries that have been sitting in some sugar, then pour about 1/2 cup of milk over the whole shebang, and top it with whipped cream.

Oh my god, it’s sinful. And heavenly. All at the same time.

Velvet Crumb Cake

(Mother-in-law)

1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp shortening (I use butter)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

– Heat oven to 350 degrees F

– Blend all ingredients in a large mizer bowl on low speed 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently

– Beat 4 minutes at medium speed in your mixer bowl

– Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8×8 (or 9×9) square pan

– Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

– (If using the Honey Topping listed below…) While warm, spread with Honey Crisp Topping

– (If eating it with strawberries like I do…) Cool, slice and serve.

– I store mine in the refridgerator to get more life out of it, but that’s up to you.

Honey Crisp Topping

3 tbsp butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup crushed Wheaties cereal

1 can (8.5 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

– Mix together and spread on warm Velvet Crumb Cake

Katie’s Strawberry Scones

I knew these would be fantastic — I don’t think Katie makes ANYTHING bad!

And how bad can fresh strawberries and scones be?!

In college, I spent a period where I existed solely on scones and vanilla cappuchino (I can’t help it — it’s what the cafeteria was good at making!!) but shortly after college, I quit eating them. I couldn’t find anyone who made them as delicious as the college cafeteria (go figure?) and I was scared to try making them.

Looks like I’m back in action!

Perhaps next I’ll give blueberry/lemon ones a try — I’ve never made scones with fresh fruit!

(Sorry for the bad image — it’s DARK in here tonight)

Strawberry Scones
(Katie’s Blog)

2 1/4 – 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (depending on how ripe your strawberries are)
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 egg
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp orange zest
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Directions
– preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
– in a small bowl, combine egg, yogurt, milk, zest, whisk to combine thoroughly and set aside
– in large bowl, combine flour, sugar, powder, salt, and whisk to combine
– using pastry cutter and to knives, cut butter into flour until all pieces are smaller than pea-sized
– add strawberries, and toss to coat
– add wet ingredients to dry and mix in lightly with fork until dough just comes together
– turn dough out onto well-floured work surface and pat into large ball
– cut the dough ball in half
– shape half of the dough into a flat disk shape and cut into 8 slices
– place on baking sheet and repeat with other half of dough
– sprinkle tops of scones with sugar and place in the oven
– bake until slightly brown, about 25 minutes (I checked mine at 22 and they were already slightly browner than I would’ve liked!)
– remove from oven and let cool on a baking sheet for 10 minutes
– transfer to a wire rack and let cool

Famous Strawberry Cupcakes

These are the best homemade strawberry cupcakes you’ll ever taste. They’re simply amazing!

Advice Note: The recipe does not call for it, but I highly, highly, highly reccommend using baking cups. These cupcakes are delicate and very moist, and without the baking cups they tend to fall apart. Just FYI.

P.S. Katie also reccommends these cupcakes with a dark chocolate frosting, rather than the strawberry frosting given here. Yum!

Angie’s* Famous Strawberry Cupcakes
(*I don’t know Angie — but Katie does)

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (or a little less)
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups fresh, chopped strawberries

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two cupcake pans.
– Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
– In the bowl of your mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
– Add eggs one at a time until combined.
– Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until just combined.
– Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
– Fold in chopped strawberries.
– Fill your cupcake pans 3/4 way full.
– Bake for 20-25 minutes.
– Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Strawberry Frosting
1/4 cup strawberries
1 tbsp. strawberry liquor** (I had no luck finding this — I omitted it, added 1/2 tbsp of water, and it still tasted DELICIOUS)
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions
– Put the berries, liquor (or water), and lemon juice in a saucepan.
– Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
– Let cool (about 20 minutes) and then blend until smooth.
– In the bowl of your mixer, mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.
– Add sugar, then vanlla.
– Add berry puree until smooth.
– Frost cupcakes.

**Katie gives no advice on this, but, I store these cupcakes in the fridge because of the cream cheese icing.