white chocolate cookie squares
Fruit pizza is always a familiar favorite.
Sugar cookie crust + cream cheese icing + fresh fruit
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.
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.
I love using fresh strawberries, blueberries, and sliced peaches..
It makes a great dessert for your next summer cookout!
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.
Happy July!