Conference turris::cooks

    Re: Fruit Pizza
    
    Better late than never with the questions...
    
    The recipe calls for 1 4 oz package of whipped topping.  Does this mean
    Cool Whip or some kind of dry whipped topping mix like Dream whip?
    
    I'd like to make this but I am having a hard time imagining blending
    Cool Whip into cheese.
    
    Thanks for any elightenment.
    
    Susan

    An old friend of mine made something like this one time.  It seems
    to me she blended Cool Whip with the cream cheese.  It was great, 
    but I never got the recipe from her, so I'm anxious to try this one.
    
    Jan

    Here is one version of a fruit tart.  I have left out the pie crust
    recipe because I don't have the proportions for the recipe I use to
    hand - if I remember I will enter it - but your favorite will probably
    do.
    
    FRUIT TART
    
    1 pre-cooked tart shell
    
    Creme Patisserie (I do hope I have spelled this correctly!)
    
    1 1/2 cups milk
    2 egg yolks
    2 tablespoons flour (sifted after measuring to get rid of lumps)
    2 tablespoons sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla 
    
    In heave bottomed saucepan, bring milk to boil.  In bowl, beat egg
    yolks, flour and sugar until smooth.  Add a little of the hot milk,
    whisking all the time to keep the egg from curdling.  Whisk the egg
    mixture into the milk *** OFF HEAT ***.  Return to medium heat and stir
    constantly with wooden spoon until mixture has thicken (should coat the
    spoon - takes about 4-5 minutes).  The trick is not to let it come to
    the boil or the egg will overcook and the mixture will curdle.  If you are
    nervous the first time, cook the egg mixture in a double broiler over,
    but not touching, boiling water.  It takes an age to thicken, but you
    will have more control over the tempreture.
    
    Cover the custard with some plastic wrap right on top of the mixture to
    keep a skin from forming and refridgerate.
    
    Glaze
    
    4 tablespoons apricot jam
    1 tablespoon water
    
    Heat jam and water until the mixture is running - put through a
    strainer.
    
    Fruit 
    
    Well - any fruit you like - I like halved strawberries, sliced peaches,
    sliced plums, halved grapes - and usually in a combination
    
    To Assemble
    
    Fill the pre-cooked tart shell with the cold creme patisserie.  Arrange
    the fruit on top in a pleasing pattern and then brush on the glaze.
    
    Cathryn
    
    
    

for your crust....find any sugar cookie recipe.  For your filling, mix cream
cheese with a little heavy cream, sugar to taste, and a teaspoon of vanilla,
mixed well with mixer and spread over cooled cookie (giant cookie made from
sugar cookie recipe baked in one giant cookie shape with a small edge made by
"rolling up" the edge of the dough before baking).  chill well.  cover with
fresh or canned fruits in attractive design.  Glaze by bringing any jelly of
compatible flavor to melt point by heating over low heat until it stirs out
as a liquid.  Spread gently over the fruit and chill the "pizza" well before
serving.  Best jellies to use are apple (for clear), peach (if you can find
it), strawberry (ditto), or red currant.

I found this recipe the first time on a label for a package of cream cheese,
kraft brand.  I've never used a recipe since.  However, there are "philadelphia
cream cheese cookbooks" available and I'm sure the recipe is in one of them.

Hint: chill the cookie dough very well before setting it up as the crust.  It
should be firm enough to form an edge around the base.  Chill again for 30
minutes before baking it.  

I also used puff pastry sheets as a base for this once and they worked very
well.

    Here is another one:
    
    1 and 1/4 cups Bisquick baking mix
    1/4 cup sugar
    1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
    1/4 cup apricot jam
    1 cup stawberries sliced
    1 kiwifruit, pared and sliced, or 1/2 cup seedless green grapes, halved
    1/4 cup apple jelly
    
    Heat oven to 400 degrees.
    
    MIX baking mix and sugar.  Cut in margarine until mixture resembles
    coarse cornmeal.  Press mixture in bottom of ungreased springform pan,
    9 x 3 inches, or shape into 9-inch round on ungreased cookie sheet. 
    Bake until light brown, 9 to 12 minutes.  Cool 30 minutes.  Remove
    sides of pan.
    
    HEAT apricot jam to boiling.  Immediately pour and spread over crust. 
    Arrange strawberries and kiwifruit on top.  Heat apple jelly to
    boiling.  Brush or spoon apple jelly carefully over fruit. 
    Refrigerate at least 1 hour but no longer than 8 hours. Cut into
    wedges.  Serve with whipped cream if desired.
    
    Makes 6 servings
          

    
    
    I make this almost exactly as described in .2, except that I add a bit
    of grated orange zest to the cream cheese mixture.
    
    An alternate (and more traditional) filling is a very thick pastry
    cream.
    
    Do not make this dessert too far in advance.
    
    /Brian/
    

Another suggestion, in the fresh fruit section of your grocery you may find a
premade tart -- similar to shortcake.  It is large, 12 - 16 " like a pizza and
ususally has a recipe included with it.  But they are really very simple, there
are so many diffenert things you can do with them...

	cream cheese and honey for a base
	ice cream for a base and then freeze
	pudding for a base
	fill with whipped cream (or cool whip) and fesh sliced fruit
	fill with fruit soaked in liqueur
	add fresh fruit to any of the above bases and set with pudding, jell,
	    whipped cream, etc.

have fun, even the disasters are edibile!!  scoop into a dish, freeze and top
with ice cream or whipped cream -- folks will never know that wasn't how you 
had planned it!!  Hang loose in the kitchen  and have fun....it tastes better
that way!

dana

Brownie-Fruit Dessert Pizza
---------------------------

2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chcolate
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 (3-oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 TBS whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8 1/4-oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup mandarin orange segments, drained
1 to 2 kiwifruit, peeled and thinly sliced
2 TBS apple jelly
Fresh mint sprig (optional)


Place chocolate in top of double boiler; bring water to a boil.  Reduce heat to
low; cook until chocolate melts.  Remove from heat, let cool.

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well.  Add egg, beating well. 
Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Stir in melted
chocolate.  Shape dough into a ball; wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap and chill
thoroughly.

Roll or pat dough onto a lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan, forming a rim around
outer edges.  Flute edges, if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes
or until done.  Let cool completely.

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add powdered sugar, whipping cream, and
vanilla; beat well.  Spread over brownie crust.

Arrange fruit decoratively over cream cheese mixture.  Melt apple jelly in a
small saucepan over low heat.  Let cool slightly.  Brush melted jelly lightly
over fruit.  Garnish with mint sprig, if desired.  Slize pizza into wedges to
serve.

    I want to make this fruit pizza for dessert on Thursday and I have a
    couple of questions.  
    
    1.  I've checked around for basic sugar cookie recipes, and they can be
    divided into two categories:  the 2 egg, 3-4 cups of flour recipes and
    the 1 egg, 2 cups of flour recipes.  Which size will I need?  (I'm
    guessing that the smaller yield recipe will be fine, but I also don't
    want to find myself crying over a puny crust when my company arrives so
    I'm asking just to be sure).
    
    2.  Is is OK/possible to slice kiwi fruit in a food processor or is it
    too soft?  I'd like to have nice uniform slices of it, but I also don't
    want to end up with kiwi pulp!
    
    Thanks!
    
    Cara
    
    PS.  Who knows, the outcome of this attempt could show up in the
    "Disasters" note.....  :-)

<<< Note 3023.8 by DEMON::DEMON::COLELLA "I'll start procrastinating tomorrow....." >>>
                    -< Two questions about this recipe.... >-

    I want to make this fruit pizza for dessert on Thursday and I have a
    couple of questions.  
    
>    1.  I've checked around for basic sugar cookie recipes, and they can be
>    divided into two categories:  the 2 egg, 3-4 cups of flour recipes and
>    the 1 egg, 2 cups of flour recipes.  Which size will I need?  (I'm
>    guessing that the smaller yield recipe will be fine, but I also don't
>    want to find myself crying over a puny crust when my company arrives so
>    I'm asking just to be sure).
    
depends on the pizza pan size...however, good bet is the smaller recipe will
be adequate for normal pizza pan size.

>    2.  Is is OK/possible to slice kiwi fruit in a food processor or is it
>    too soft?  I'd like to have nice uniform slices of it, but I also don't
>    want to end up with kiwi pulp!
    
no processor to slice any soft fruit...fruit puree is what you get.  Slice
by hand.

    Anobody know how far in advance I can make this (referring to .0)? Will
    the orange sauce keep the fruit from turning brown?  I have to bring a
    dessert to a cook-out on Friday night - no time to prepare anything
    except Thursday night.  Think it will hold?
    Sarah

    Sarah,
       I've made things similar to this and the acid from the orange juice
    should keep the fruit from turning brown. The only problem I would
    foresee is the fruit juices might start to run/ooze a bit. Otherwise I
    think it should be fine.
    
    Debbie