Sorta Healthy, Fruity Pizza

With this no-sugar plan I am attempting, I tried and tried to think of something without sugar or flour in it to take to book club.  Sure, I could've taken black bean dip, or a vegetable plate, or a dozen other items.  But it was book club.

You can't possibly understand how impossible it is to eat healthy at book club.  Unless you've been in a book club, especially a book club like my book club.

It's the kind of book club where we members all cook the yummiest-sounding, fattiest recipes we can find. The kind where the host provides lots of yummy drinks.  And it's definitely the kind where we all over-indulge and spend almost no time talking about the books we all actually do read.  You know, it's that kind of book club.

Luckily for my waistline, it only happens once a month.

This particular book club was the last Friday of my spring break.  As you may remember, I teach high school.  On this particular Friday, I had not eaten (much) sugar for almost three weeks.  So I decided to do the logical thing to comfort myself regarding my impending return to work: make fruit pizza.

If you have ever had fruit pizza, you already know that, as healthy as it may sound, it isn't very healthy.  See, it has a lot of fruit on it, so you can look at it and pretend you are being conscientious about your caloric intake.

Then you realize that the crust of fruit pizza is made of cookie dough.

I still am including my fruit pizza recipe here, because honestly it is a great way to encourage picky child eaters to eat a great deal of fruit.  In addition, the topping of the pizza does have nutritional value.  If you don't eat too large a slice, it's not a horrible snack.

Besides, it's pretty.

Fruit Pizza

One package refrigerated sugar cookie dough (low-sugar if you can find it – good luck)

1 1/2 containers 1/3 less fat strawberry-flavored cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

a variety of colorful, sliced fruit

Preheat your oven according to cookie dough package directions.  Using cooking spray, lightly grease a round pizza pan.

Unroll your entire package of cookie dough into a crust using a rolling pan.  Bake large, pizza-shaped cookie according to package directions.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

fruit pizza crust, cooling

When considering what fruit to use for the pizza, I like to have a variety of color.  In addition, very juicy fruits, like pineapple, can make your pizza soggy.  For this pizza I chose green grapes, blueberries, strawberries and kiwi.  Kiwi is a must.  Because it's pretty.  

I've also used bananas.  They are not as attractive on the pizza – they turn brown quickly.  However, they taste really good on the pizza.  It is your call.  Depends on whether you are trying to impress someone or you're just going to scarf the entire thing down yourself.  

Cut all your fruit into cute little pieces.  I didn't cut my blueberries, because blueberries already are cute little pieces.  You may want to make sure the fruit pieces of the same fruit are the same size.  Obviously, you can take creative liberty here because the fact you are making this recipe automatically makes you a fruit artist.  Cool, huh?

Have you noticed I never use a cutting board?  Well, unless I am cutting something ooky and gooky like meat.  What's the point of having stone countertops if you don't use them? Am I right?

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a bowl.  If you do not add the sugar, your "sauce" will still taste plenty good.  Of course, I like sugar, so I wanted to add sugar.  You could be better, smarter, more disciplined than me.  But then, that's not very fun.  Just sayin'.

Spread your "sauce" on your "pizza crust."

Arrange your fruit in a beautiful, creative pattern.  Get in touch with your inner artist.  And you're finished with a tasty, gorgeous dessert that may or may not be healthy, depending on your perspective.