I am sure she was as embarrassed to tell me as I will be to pass this on, but the recipe is actually from the Pillsbury website using their refrigerated cookie dough. In no way do I condemn shortcuts what-so-ever, but I will tell you that I cannot bring myself to buy dough of any form...well, I have been know to buy pizza dough from Trader Joe's, but only after making my own several times and realizing you couldn't taste the extra effort I put into homemade, so I caved.
But other than that, o yeah, there was this time when I was caught short and needed to made a quick pie and got the pie dough from Trader Joe's...another secret. I really do prefer to make my own, it's very simple and doesn't take too much time, but in a pinch, Trader Joe's shines! I would put it up against a homemade crust in a contest...but with that said, I really can't do the Pillsbury thing
I used my sugar cookie recipe from Sherry Yard's "The Secrets of Baking" cookbook. Rolled the dough out and baked it on my pizza pan. Let it cool and then spread that yummy sauce all over the cooled cookie and make your fruit masterpiece. The fun is cutting it into wedge like pizza slices and serve it next to a scoop of vanilla ice-cream if you really want to go for it! I highly recommend!
The main thing you really need to know is the pizza "sauce" consisting of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Who can resist that! I also don't use the apple jelly to glaze the fruit, just seems too sweet and goopy and unnecessary to me, I prefer the freshness. However, depending on your circumstances, if you thought your fruit would dry out, I suppose a little brush stroke of jelly wouldn't hurt.
These are also really really cute little party finger foods when done on individually baked little sugar cookies. Just chop up the fruit into smaller pieces. You could even let the guests make their own. How fun is that!
Master Sugar Cookies Recipe
Yield abt 3 doz 3-inch round cookies
Ingredients
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Instructions
Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle or beaters. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cream on medium speed until it is smooth, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.Add the egg and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
On low speed, add the flour. Beat until all of the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds, or until you have an even-textured dough.
Remove small handfuls of dough from the mixer and plop them down the middle of a sheet of parchment paper, creating a log about 1-1/2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Fold the parchment over creating a sausage. Chill for at least 1 hour. At this point, the dough will keep nicely, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. (Thaw frozen dough at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until you can slice it.)
Preheat the oven to 350. Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
When the dough has chilled, remove it from the parchment, pour the remaining 1/4 cup sugar onto your work surface, and roll the log in the sugar. Using a chef's knife, slice 1/3 inch thick rounds off the log. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Alternate the rows, checkerboard fashion.
Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges, turning the baking sheet front to back halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and carefully slide the parchment onto a work surface. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving or 20 minutes before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. The cookies can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
* Note: Baking at a lower temperature (325) for a longer period of time results in a crisp cookie. Baking at a higher temperature (350) for a shorter time creates a softer, chewier center.
Kim's Notes: If using this recipe for the fruit pizza, I roll it out on parchment as quickly as possible for the pizza, then chill. I bake at the 350 degree temp creating the softer crust for about 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
Recipe from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard
Pillsbury
