Name: American Flag Fruit Pizza Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 12 min
Total time: 1 h 32 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: For the Crust: 1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough (or homemade sugar cookie dough); For the Topping: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; For the Fruit: Blueberries (for the stars section); Sliced strawberries and/or raspberries (for the stripes); Sliced bananas or marshmallows (optional, for the white stripes)

This American Flag Fruit Pizza is a festive, delicious dessert perfect for celebrating the 4th of July. With its sweet cookie crust, creamy topping, and fresh fruit arranged in the pattern of the American flag, this dessert is both eye-catching and delicious.

Ingredients

1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough (16.5 oz)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
⅔ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 oz whipped topping, thawed
12 oz fresh raspberries (3 to 4 cups)
1 dry pint fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)

Instructions

Prepare the Cookie Crust

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Prepare Cookie Dough: Open the tube of cookie dough and slice into ¼ inch pieces.
Form Pizza Base: Place cookie dough slices on a lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan. Press the slices together into an even layer covering the entire pan. If desired, reserve one slice to bake separately for making a star decoration.
Bake: Bake the cookie crust for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely on the pan.

Make the Cream Cheese Topping

Mix Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until smooth. Incorporate half of the whipped topping by beating, then gently fold in the remaining whipped topping until fully combined.
Spread on Crust: Scoop a little less than half of the cream cheese mixture onto the cooled cookie crust, spreading it to the edges.

Decorate with Fruit

Outline with Blueberries: Use blueberries to outline the edge of the pizza and fill in the upper left corner to create the blue field of the flag.
Add a Star: If you made a star-shaped cookie, place it in the center of the blueberry field.
Create Stripes: Arrange the raspberries in horizontal lines across the pizza to create the red stripes of the flag.
Pipe White Stripes: Use a piping bag to add the remaining cream cheese mixture between the rows of raspberries to form the white stripes.

Serving

Chill: Keep the fruit pizza in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This helps the cream cheese setting slightly, making the pizza easier to slice.

Notes

Star Cookie: If making a star-shaped cookie for the blue field, bake the reserved slice of dough, then use a cookie cutter to cut out a star shape immediately after removing it from the oven.
Serving Tip: For the best flavor and texture, serve the pizza chilled. It's ideal to assemble the pizza at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.

Conclusion

This American Flag Fruit Pizza is not only a visually striking centerpiece for your 4th of July celebration but also a scrumptious treat that guests are sure to love. Its combination of sweet and creamy textures with the freshness of berries makes it a delightful summer dessert. Enjoy crafting this edible flag with the vibrant colors and flavors of the season!