Patriotic Fruit Pizza

Summer is here, and that means it’s time to prepare for all the summer holidays! Will and I love to celebrate America, and I also love any excuse to break out a baking pan and make a delicious treat. While we will be traveling this Memorial Day celebrating our good friend’s wedding, here is a festive cookie bar recipe I came up with.

The best thing about a “fruit pizza” or cookie bar is that their center always comes out soft, unlike regular cookies. This cookie bar is no exception. The soft cookie layer is covered with a sweet cream cheese frosting. And to top it all off, a layer of fruit to create a fresh summer dessert. I used blueberries, strawberries, and bananas to create an American Flag decoration, but you could use any type of fruit you like if you aren’t making this for a holiday theme.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (don’t forget about my homemade vanilla extract recipe!)
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Fruit Topping:

• 3 cups strawberries, sliced thin
• 2 bananas, sliced thin
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 Tbsp apricot preserves
• 2 Tbsp water

Instructions:

1. Make the cookie layer. Beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs. Once mixed together add in all the dry ingredients. Spread over a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
2. For the frosting; beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Spread evenly over the cookie cake.
3. For the final step, use the fresh fruit to decorate the cake. The quantities listed can create an American flag, but you could use any other variety of fruit if you aren’t making this for Memorial Day (or Fourth of July or Labor Day, for that matter!)
4. Once the fruit is arranged on top, heat the 2 Tbsp of apricot preserves in the microwave and mix with the 2 Tbsp water. Use a pastry brush or basting brush to spread evenly over the fruit. This will help preserve the fruit and maintain the color of the bananas.
5. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.