Strawberry Cheesecake Fruit Pizza

By srumbel

This fruit pizza recipe is one of our favorites. I made it up a few years ago and actually had it published in Taste of Home magazine. I’ve tweaked it a little since then, but it is basically the same.
from creationsbykara.com

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Strawberry Topping:
• 4 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• Cheesecake Layer:
• 8 oz cream cheese (I used light)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preparation

Step 1

Crust:
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Roll out or pat into a 12-13″ circle on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool completely.

Strawberry Topping:
Combine berries and 1/2 cup sugar and let sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes or until sugar is totally dissolved and turned to juice. Drain all of the juice from the berries and measure 1/2 cup. (If you don’t have enough juice, you can add a little bit of water.) Measure the cornstarch into a saucepan and slowly whisk in the strawberry juice mixture. Whisk till smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for at least 2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the lemon zest. Cool to room temperature and fold in the sliced berries. Chill while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Layer:
Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla till smooth. Spread over the crust. Use a slotted spoon to place the berry mixture on top. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Tips:

-Make sure you let the berries sit until you have 1/2 cup of juice. If the mixture is too thick after cooling, you can add a little water or orange juice.