Mini Dessert Pizzas— Texas Style

We had a party in the resident lounge at our apartment here in Seattle to celebrate our wedding with our Seattle friends who couldn't make the trek out to Texas for the actual wedding. Of course, I was ready to pull out my cowboy boots— the theme for party was "Go Texan!" Tex-Mex appetizers and Texas shaped (and sized) dessert pizzas. And no Texas themed party is complete without some margaritas and Coronas (our grocery store didn't have Shiner unfortunately).

My mom has this great fruit pizza that I never really liked as a young kid, but as my tastes evolved, I really came to love. Basically you take a package of sugar cookie that you buy at the store and roll it out like pizza crust, spread a cream cheese and sugar mixture as the sauce, top with sliced fruit (my mom always used kiwis, bananas, and strawberries), and coat with sugary citrus glaze to keep the fruit fresh.

I wanted to take this dessert and change it up for our party though.

1. I wanted individually sized mini dessert pizzas instead of one big one that I'd have to cut during the party.
2. I wanted the crust to be homemade. No store bought cookie dough here.
3. I wanted the fruit to be red, white, and blue to show a little Texas pride.

Begin by making your crusts using your favorite sugar cookie recipe. I used this basic recipe for the party. Roll out the dough and use the cookie cutters of your choice. I made a variety of Texas themed cookies including the outline of the state, cowboy boots, longhorns, and stars, but I only decorated the state ones (there were 17 large, and I mean Texas-sized states of Texas!).

Next, cream together 12 ounces of cream cheese with a  heaping half cup of granulated sugar until it is smooth, and spread it all over the cookies.

I chose to decorate with blueberries, bananas, and strawberries and arranged them so that it created a Texas flag. Finally, we cooked up a thick citrusy sauce on the stove and poured the warm glaze over the fruit to preserve them. All that is involved in making the glaze is stirring a cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 3/4 cup of water, a cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, and bringing it to a boil over medium-high heat until the cornstarch makes the mixture thick. Be sure to pour the glaze over the cookies while it is still warm then put the cookies in the fridge and let them sit to harden before serving.

Here is a little preview of some of what we served and what you have to look forward to over the next few days :)

Notice the awesome Texas paper plates, napkins, and serving dishes!