Fruit Pizza

This is a beautiful dessert that looks much harder than it is.  The most time consuming aspect is slicing the fruit!  The first time I made this was for my daughter's baby dedication, almost 22 years ago.  I was telling the hubby today about how nervous I was when I made it then.  I even called myself an "uptight cook". Anyone who knows me knows how silly that description is.  So, don't be uptight.  Just follow the steps and you'll have a dessert to "wow" your guests.

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 c butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange juice
1 egg, room temp

1 tub strawberry cream cheese
1 8-oz whipped topping, thawed

Mixed fresh fruit - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi (whatever you like)
1/4 c peach or apricot preserves
2 TBSP water

Sift the powder sugar, flour, baking soda and cream of tartar into a mixing bowl.

Add the butter, egg, vanilla and orange juice.

Mix, on low, until the dough comes together.  Mix on medium high, 1 minute, until well blended.  Spoon dough into a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Dump the chilled dough onto the cookie sheet.

The dough is pretty sticky, and the heat from your hands will make it worse.  I tried using greased fingers. No go.  I also tried a wet spatula.  That didn't go so well either.  The best way I found was to lay a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and spreading it out with a rolling pin.

Gently peel away the parchment.

Bake at 375 for 11-12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the cookie is set.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Beat the whipped topping and cream cheese together with a mixer.

Spread evenly over the cooled cookie.

Arrange the fruit, in rows, over the filling.

Combine fruit preserves and water in a microwave-proof bowl.  Heat until melted, about 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.

Use a pastry brush to spread the melted preserves over the fruit and cookie edges.

This makes the fruit shiny and helps protect it from drying out.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Will keep fresh in fridge 1-2 days.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Dreams

Chocolate and peanut butter.  Can there even be a better combination?  This cake is decadent and delicious, which makes it perfect for the holidays.  It's a dark chocolate cake with a peanut butter cheesecake center, all held together with peanut butter cream frosting.  This post is a little longer and more detailed than what I usually do.  Please don't be overwhelmed!  There are a lot of steps, but they are EASY.  And you can do them on separate days to help break it down.

Start with the cake layers.  They can be made pretty well in advance, since they need to be frozen.
Here's what you'll need:
12 TBSP butter
2/3 c brown sugar
2/3 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c sour cream
2 TBSP brewed coffee
1 3/4 c flour
1 c cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.  Line them with parchment paper (to help prevent sticking), and grease the parchment.  Set aside.

Your butter, eggs, buttermilk and sour cream need to be at room temperature.  The eggs and butter can sit out on the counter overnight.  In the morning, set out the buttermilk and sour cream.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  This will remove the lumps and lighten the flour, creating a lighter cake.  Set aside.

Whisk together vanilla, buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.  Beat them until their light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, blend well.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Stir just until the flour disappears.  Add 1/2 of the milk mixture.  Repeat, ending with the third flour addition.  Combining it this way creates a finer crumb (cake texture).

Divide evenly between the two prepared cake pans.  Smooth the tops.  Bake at 350 for 27-30 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Then remove from their pans.  The easiest way to do this is to place the rack on top of the cake, then flip the whole thing over.  The parchment paper will help them come put easily.

Remove the parchment paper.  Cool completely.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Freeze, at least, overnight or up to one week.

Make the cheesecake layer next.  It, too, needs to freeze overnight.
Here's what you'll need:
2 8oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
2/3 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs, room temp
1/3 c heavy cream, room temp
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325.  Grease a 9" spring form pan.  Wrap foil around the outside of the pan.  Place the pan in a casserole dish just big enough to hold it.  Set aside.

Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar together until well-blended, light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, just blending.  Stir in remaining ingredients until just mixed.  Pour into prepared pan.

Pour warm water into the casserole dish til it comes half way up the foil.  This will keep the top of the cheesecake from cracking.  Bake 40-45 minutes, until the center is set.  Carefully loosen the foil from the edges of the pan.  Lift the spring form pan from the water bath.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cheesecake.

Leave the cake in the pan.  Wrap the whole thing tightly in foil.  Freeze overnight or up to one week.

Make the frosting the day you want to assemble the cake.  Remove the cake and cheesecake from the freezer.  Unwrap the cakes.

Here's what you'll need:
8oz cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter, room temp
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBSP heavy cream
3 c sifted powder sugar, sifted

Beat together the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter.

Beat until well-blended.  Stir in the vanilla and cream.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until absorbed.  Turn the mixer to high and beat for 5 minutes.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer, flat side down, on a cake plate.  Spread with 1/2 cup of frosting.

Place the cheesecake layer upside down on the frosted layer.  Remove the parchment paper.  Spread with 1/2 cup frosting.

Place remaining cake layer, flat side up, on top of frosted cheesecake.

Spread frosting, in a thin layer, over the sides of the cake.  This will seal in the crumbs.

Press chocolate chips around the sides of the cake using the palm of your hand.

When the sides are completely covered, gently press the chips into the cake.  Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake, creating a swirling pattern.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  This is a VERY rich cake, so thin slices are all it takes.

Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

I LOVE frosting.  To me, it is often the whole point of eating cake.  Butter cream, Swiss meringue, browned butter.  I mean, how can you go wrong?  But making frosting can be a challenge to have it turn out smooth, glossy and delicious.  Here's a cream cheese frosting that will never disappoint.

What you'll need:
1 stick butter, room temp
4 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar, sifted
3 TBLS cream or milk

Sifting the powdered sugar is an important step.   This helps remove the lumps from the sugar and make the frosting smooth.  Just measure the sugar into a wire whisk placed over a bowl.  Gently shake the strainer til all the sugar has passed through.  Through away any lumps that remain.  Set aside.

Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of the mixer.  

Mix until thoroughly combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Turn the mixer on low and add the vanilla and sugar.  Mix, on low, until the sugar is blended in.  Add the cream.  When mixed in, turn the mixer to high and beat for 5 minutes.  This adds air to the frosting, making it light and airy.

Now pile the frosting on top of a cake.

Use and off-set spatula (or knife) to spread the frosting across the cake, just pushing it toward the corners.

This recipe will frost one 9x13 inch cake or 18-24 cupcakes.  Enjoy!