Patriotic (Fruit) Pizza

I can remember eating this up years ago on the 4th of July. A family friend would always bring some up to our lakehouse in the hottest of summer days. Although I usually find non-chocolate desserts to be a waste of my dessert stomach, this has always been one of the few dishes that can permeate the barrier. There was nothing quite like slipping out of the water, dashing up the hill to the picnic table and eating a nice cool slice of fruit pizza. The perfect amount of sweet and sweet to appease the soul. And with trace amounts of fruit, you can imagine you're eating something a tad healthier than brownies.
 
My sister recently moved out to Boston for a job. In her first couple weeks of work, she attended a party where she made this dish. Her request for the recipe brought back a great many childhood memories, so I too, dusted off the old cookbinder and prepared the dish twice, for two upcoming 4th of July celebrations.
My sister used a homemade sugar cookie as the "crust" of the pizza and her's was quite popular, while my dad and I stuck to the traditional store brand sugar cookie, allowing this recipe to earn the "Quick and Easy" badge for newcomers. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Cool Time: 10 minutes
Ready-In: 40 minutes

1 batch of sugar cookies (I used Pillsbury)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
Strawberries
Blueberries



Shmoosh cookies into a rectangle about 1/4-1/6 inch thick on a baking sheet.












 My rectangle was about 12 inches by 18 inches. Bake according to directions. Pillsbury, for instance, advised 350 F and 11-16 minutes. I baked them for 15 minutes.
You want the cookies to have a nice crunchy bottom, so they won't get soggy.
While the cookies are baking, stir together the sugar and cream cheese for a frosting/sauce for the pizza. Place in refrigerator to keep cool.

Wash the berries. Set blueberries aside.

Slices the strawberries. I sliced the top off, then placed the now-flat part on the cutting board, sliced them in half the short way and sliced in desired thickness of strips. I went for the realistic flags, so 13 strips and 50(ish) stars, cutting my strawberries into 1/2-3/4 inch strip(e)s. 
When the crust is done, pull it out and let it cool until you can cut it. I like to cut off the border, making a nice smooth rectangle.

Now, spread the cream cheese mix on, trying real hard to coat evenly and to the edges. Using a knife, plan out the design of the pizza.

 Place strawberry stripes down, carefully. This is always the msot time consuming part as you struggle to make everything look even.

Earning my stripes.

Fill in blueberries. I left spaces to make the white cream cheese look like the stars on the flag.

 Keep in fridge until ready to serve!