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white chocolate cookie squares

Fruit pizza is always a familiar favorite.

Sugar cookie crust + cream cheese icing + fresh fruit

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Here is a lighter version that I made last week.  I made it after I eyed this “slimmed down” version of fruit pizza on skinnytaste.com.

I baked the cookie in a quarter sheet baking pan. It will bake to about ½ inch thick.  So, it’s more like a sheet cake than the usual thin sugar cookie crust… and this one is filled with white chocolate. 

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I spread the cookie with a quick light cream cheese icing; cut the cake into squares; and topped it with fresh summer fruit.

I snagged these strawberries at a market.

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I love using fresh strawberries, blueberries, and sliced peaches..

It makes a great dessert for your next summer cookout!

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White Chocolate Cookie Squares

Cookie Crust:

  • 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (I also use gluten-free baking flour)
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
  • 2 large egg whites
  • ¼ cup unsweetened organic apple sauce
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

Frosting:

  • 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

  • sliced fresh strawberries, peaches, kiwi, or your favorite fruit
  • fresh blueberries

 Directions:

1. Make the cookie:

- Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan (a quarter sheet pan) with cooking spray.

- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.

- In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.

- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula. If the batter looks more crumbly than smooth, add a drop of water at a time until it smooths out. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

- Spread the batter onto the baking pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake about 14 to 16 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don’t over-bake or your bars will be dry.

- Let it cool completely before spreading the icing.  You can invert the cake on a wire rack, or ice the top right in the pan.

2. Make the Icing:

- cream together the cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.

- Spread on cookie

3. Top with berries

- Slice the fresh berries and decorate top of cookie cake. Or use whole raspberries and blueberries.

- Cut into squares and serve.

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Happy July!