Yes, you can have a *flowery* fruit pie without (all) of tho

It's that time of the year again. Fruit pies, fruit pizzas, cheesecakes & cream cheese desserts that leave our mouths watering...

For example, this weekend, my friend Ryan and I decided to embark on our own journey and make our waistlines expand!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2096440&l=56f57&id=42111580

naaaah!

Anyway!!

Fruit Pizza Done Properly

1. The Crust

A. I used Pillsbury Create N Bake Cookie Dough. You only need 1/2 of the roll to fill out a aluminum pan. (No springform or tart pan needed.)

Additionally, you can make you own lower-calorie mix. I (personally) find lower cal tart mixes a pain in the rear end.

Also, I made mine thin (as you can kind of see from the photo). It was not thick like the sugar cookie you get from wal mart...no ma'am (or sir). This probably cut down on the caloric content as well, since most fruit pizza recipes call for the FULL package with a 12 in pie pan instead of a 1/2 roll and an 8.5 in pie pan (and I used about a 1/2 up the side as well.

Bake as directed until slightly brown.

I left mine in the pan. Don't remove it - it's going to get soggy (like a shortcake) after an hour once you have your fuit on anyway.

2. Filling.

OPTION A. DO NOT USE FAT FREE "CREAM CHEESE". Will not work. 1/3 fat is fine. Must be at room temp.

1 package 1/3 fat cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla extract

(auth. note: i think imitation is disgusting)

plus

1/3 cup sugar (splenda is totally fine if you have a taste for it!)
1/3 cu. powdered sugar

note: for the last two ingredients, add in slowly AND TASTE. add in 1/4 at a time, please. the powdered sugar is to keep it from getting too thick and too "cheesy". it will spread so much better.

*note* We had about 1/4 cup of this stuff left over - seriously!

OPTION B.

1 pkg of 1/3 fat cream cheese
1 can your favorite low-cal frozen juice (ie, limeade)

2. TOPPINGS.

A. The little Cherry Flowers.

i. Instructions:
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-to-garnish-cooking3.htm
ii. Example of mine (shown below) have blueberry bits (i think i cut mine into 8ths or better) in the center and strawberry leaves (why waste?) for the flower leaves. I used bing cherries (because they're the best!) and pit and dried them the night before so that they wouldn't bleed. I also dipped the bottom in reserve sugar and sprinkled the top in some reserve sugar so they wouldn't bleed...but this is more for decor purposes. just dy them and they'll be fine:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=32935269&l=43418&id=42111580

iii. Use a piping bag (I used a good ole Ziplock) to attach the centers.

B. Low calorie fruits that work well with this pie?

A list!

- 3 medium apricots - 51 calories (this works very well, believe it or not)

- 1 cup cantaloupe - 55 calories

- 1/2 cup of cherries - 37 calories (ABSOLUTELY UNDER-RATED AND THE BEST- ESP. BING!)

- 1 cup of grapes - 55 calories

- 1 medium guava - 45 calories (haven't tried...hmmm...)

- 1 cup of honeydew melon - 60 calories (have a melon baller? this would be lovely!)

- 1 medium peach - 40 calories



3. For the drizzle?

To keep your fruits from getting dried in the fridge (if it lasts that long!) I reccomend the Smucker's peach preserves. Or you can skip it!



MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM GOOOD!

Kiwi makes an awesome background for a "flower" garden and it only takes a speckle!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=32940626&l=64704&id=42111580



I didn't put in the caloric content because it varies according to your fruit...but as noted in my photos, it really only takes a speckle of cookie dough & filling...and you can load it up with fruit.

Plus if you have kids, the "flower making" can be so much fun.

Also...the cherry flowers can be a cool project for tons of other things...


hope someone tries it.



:flowerforyou: