A Festive Fruit Pizza

Here is a fresh, healthy and delicious recipe for fruit pizza! Sweetened up ricotta cheese with just a tiny bit of sugar, lots of cinnamon and fresh squeezed Clementine juice makes up the sauce. Anise seeds and sweet basil went into the pizza dough. For the toppings I loaded on apple slices, assorted berries and coconut flakes. A piece of art! This just melted in my mouth in an array of fragrant, sweet spiciness and bursts of fresh, juicy fruit.

This is such a fun and healthy recipe to make with your kids. You can bake off personal size crusts and let them make their own. Or how about for the Superbowl? A dessert pizza bar with pre-baked mini crusts and toppings all prepped. I’m sending this off to The Recipe Girl’s Ultimate Super Bowl Party Recipe Smack Down. The deadline is midnight tonight, head on over, there’s still time to get an entry in to win a 250$ Sam’s Club Gift Card.

My Notes:

-Buy pre-made dough or already baked crusts to save time.

-Instead of the sugar/cinnamon combo sprinkled over the top a drizzle of honey or melted white/dark chocolate, sundae sauces or caramel.

-You can omit the herbs and spices in the dough, or use your own favorites.

-Instead of Ricotta you could use softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, marshmallow fluff, jam/jelly, or peanut butter.

-There are endless possibilities to the toppings: dried cranberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis, grapes, peaches, figs, raisins, bananas, pineapple, candy (like M&M’s or chopped up candy bars), chocolate chips, nuts.

Pizza Flavor Ideas:

-bananas, pineapple and coconut

-peanut butter, mini marshmallows, banana and M&M’s

-Smores: marshmallow fluff, crumbled grahams, chocolate chips or broken up chocolate bars

-Apples and melted caramel

Dessert Pizza

(by Reeni)

The Dough:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon anise seeds

1 teaspoon fresh grated orange peel

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Turn the mixer on low and add the salt, anise seeds, basil, orange peel and olive oil. Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing at the lowest speed until all the flour has been incorporated. When the dough starts to come together increase the speed to medium. Stop the mixer and scrape dough off of hook if needed. If the dough seems crumbly add more water. Sticky add more flour a tiny bit at a time.

3.Continue mixing on medium until the dough comes together in a ball. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with saran wrap or a towel and let rise for an hour in a warm place.

4.Turn out onto a floured board and knead a few times. Stretch or roll out with a rolling pin to fit your pizza pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool completely before assembling your dessert pizza.

The Sauce:

1 and ½ cups Ricotta, 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened or Greek Yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange/clementine juice, lime juice or lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. If using ricotta: the night before or a few hours ahead of time strain the ricotta by lining a strainer with cheesecloth or paper towel and setting over a bowl. Add the ricotta, cover and refrigerate.

2. Mix the strained ricotta(or softened cream cheese or Greek yogurt) with the other ingredients.

For Fruit topping:

2 apples, thinly sliced, squeeze fresh lime/lemon juice over them and toss well to prevent browning

1/2 pint of strawberries, washed, greens removed, and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 small container (6 oz.) blueberries

2 tablespoons coconut flakes

2 tablespoons of sugar combined with a teaspoon of cinnamon to sprinkle over the top.

To assemble:

Spread the ‘sauce’ evenly over cooked crust. Arrange toppings evenly over top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Print Recipe

What would you put on your dessert pizza?

Comments

Sanctified Spaces says:

02/02/2009 at

Truly a work of art.Way to go..

Sanctified Spaces says:

02/02/2009 at

Truly a work of art.Way to go..

Joanna says:

02/01/2009 at

this is so beautiful, reeni!! i love the apple slices on the outside of it. they remind me of flower petals.whenever i did eat pizza, i would always have pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, and anchovies. nobody in my house ever wanted the anchovies so we’d always have to tell them to put it on a 1/4 of the pizza. as for dessert pizza, i’ve made them with brownie crusts and sugar cookie crusts and cream cheese icing. my fav. toppings are strawberries and raspberries.

Joanna says:

02/01/2009 at

this is so beautiful, reeni!! i love the apple slices on the outside of it. they remind me of flower petals.whenever i did eat pizza, i would always have pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, and anchovies. nobody in my house ever wanted the anchovies so we'd always have to tell them to put it on a 1/4 of the pizza. as for dessert pizza, i've made them with brownie crusts and sugar cookie crusts and cream cheese icing. my fav. toppings are strawberries and raspberries.