Stephanie's Fruit Pizza (Dessert)

This recipe comes from one of my students who is an awesome cook. Ever since watching Jamie Oliver's video on superb salads, she has made her own salad dressings for lunch. She has tried out her own oreo truffles. Most recently, she brought this wonderful dessert to a shared meal. It was wonderful because it had a little bit of sugary sweet (from the 'crust') with the rest of the flavor from the fruit.

This dessert would work well with many kinds of fruit, as long as they are firm, like kiwi, apples, or bananas. Watery fruit such as peaches or oranges would not be good.

Ingredients

• 1 package premade cookie dough (usually in the refrigerated section)
• vegetable oil spray
• one 13.5 oz tub of cream cheese fruit dip, such as T. Marzetti brand
• 1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 1 pint fresh red raspberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to temperature on cookie dough package.
2. Very lightly, spray your pizza stone or cookie sheet.
3. Roll out sugar cookie dough into one large pizza size circle.
4. Bake according to package directions.
5. Once cookie 'crust' is completely cool, spread most / all of the fruit dip onto your cookie.
6. Evenly spread your fruit topping over the entire cookie.
7. This pizza can be covered with aluminum foil and placed in the fridge to be served later in the day if needed.

Double Cheese Mini Pizzas

Happy new year, friends! We've finally finished moving into our new home and I'm welcoming the new year with some fun snacks.

These mini pizzas are a good base because they can be jazzed up with a number of toppings. I anticipate us trying some with caramelized onions, finely chopped pepperoni, or even pesto.

You'll find two variations of the recipe: one in the traditional style, and one where the bread is toasted and cold mozzarella cheese is applied afterward. Both are delicious, although the cold variation does preserve the wonderful texture of cold mozzarella.

Ingredients

• fresh Italian bread
• pasta sauce
• fresh mozzarella, sliced (a 4 oz package will make one cookie sheet's worth of snacks)
• Parmesan cheese
• dried parsley

Directions - Hot Variation

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut Italian bread in half lengthwise, then slice into medium-thick pieces. Place on cookie sheet.
3. Spoon a small amount of pasta sauce and spread evenly on the bread.
4. Top each piece with a slice of mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Finish with a pinch of parsley.
5. Bake at 450 degrees until cheese gets nice and gooey, about 5 minutes.

Directions - Cold Variation

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut Italian bread in half lengthwise, then slice into medium-thick pieces. Place on cookie sheet.
3. Spoon a small amount of pasta sauce and spread evenly on the bread.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 3-4 minutes, until sauce begins to dry out.
5. Remove from oven. top with slice of cold mozzarella, sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and a pinch of parsley.