Fresh Fruit Pizza

Enjoying a simple, sweet treat is a great way to squeeze the last bit of sunshine out of the summer. In fact, Fruit Pizza may be the best possible excuse for indulging in the end-of-season local fruit bounty.

I find this dessert to be a bit of a splurge with its cookie crust, but it can easily be prepared using organic ingredients — and the options for delicious toppings are endless! You could skip the cream cheese and instead use honey-sweetened ricotta topped with chopped figs, salted pistachio pieces and honey. Or add nuts, toffee pieces or chocolate chips (milk, dark or white) to the dough. Or…well, you get the idea!

Fruit Pizza

Yields 16 pieces

Cookie Crust Ingredients

- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup almond meal/flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

- 1 cup sugar

- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 Tbsp lemon juice

- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, optional

Topping Ingredients

- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

- 3 Tbsp powdered sugar or honey

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 cup whipped cream

- 1/4 cup peach or apricot jam

- Water or rum

- 3-4 cups fresh fruit pieces

- 1/4 cup shaved almonds, optional

Cookie Crust Instructions

1. Sift the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt; set aside.

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and beat until smooth.

1. Combine the flour mixture into the butter mixture, until just combined.

1. Grease a 10- to 12-inch round rimmed baking pan (pizza or tart pan). Press the dough evenly onto the pan, leaving about a 1-inch gap between the dough and the edge of the pan. Refrigerate for one houror up to overnight.