Cooking with Ease by Melissa Tate: Fruit Pizza

(ROCKWALL, TX – Aug. 31, 2019) With fall fast approaching, I always find ways to squeeze in some of my favorite summer desserts. Fruit Pizza is one that can absolutely make its way into September. Over the years, I have heard Evan mention how much he loved his mother’s fruit pizza. That it was different than most he’d tried and of course, far better. I couldn’t find her recipe written anywhere, if it was even a recipe. There is a good chance she just knew it by heart. So I began to ask the boys… Evan, Nathan and Brandon.

Evan’s memory is of it being creamier, Nathan (the chef) is sure that it had whipped cream cheese and Brandon recalls a thinner consistency with a little “tangy-ish taste”. In all the descriptions, the one thing that stays consistent is that it was different than any other they had tasted. Better, unique, special.

There is a huge chance that even if I figure out their mother’s recipe, it will not taste the same. Food is so much more than something we eat off of a plate. It holds memories, emotions, ties to our past. Strawberry cake makes me think of all my birthdays as a kid. Mexican cornbread brings back memories of my sister and I picking out all the onions but not complaining because it was my dad’s favorite. Food tastes the way it does because of who made it, where we were, who we were with and how we felt as we took each bite.

Per Evan, the recipe I came up with is pretty close. It’s not just like his mom’s, but again… will it ever be? My hope for you, as we close out summer, is that you take some time to reflect on some treasured meals you’ve had in life. Who made it, who shared the table with you and how it made you feel. And maybe even try to recreate one or two.

Enjoy,

Melissa Tate

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

1 roll (16.5oz) refrigerated sugar cookies

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon juice

fresh fruit, cut as desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray.
Press dough evenly on bottom of pan leaving 1/2 inch rim of pan showing all the way around.
Bake 16-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until well blended.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until creamy. Add lemon juice and beat again.
Spread mixture over cooled crust.
Arrange fruit over cream cheese spread. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Cut and serve!

By Blue Ribbon News guest columnist Melissa Tate of Rockwall. Melissa is a freelance food writer and owner of Photo-Wagon mobile photo booth. She also helps her husband run their family farm, Tate Farms, and event center, Summerfield at Tate Farms. They are currently managing the Smirl Chapel Relocation & Preservation Project. Find Melissa on www.melissatatetx.com, on Facebook or Instagram at @melissatatetx to follow the adventures. Headshot by Kelly Alexander Photography.