Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart Bars

...for want of a better name.

 
I have been making versions of this for years. I use the same basics but sometimes I cover a whole round cookie sheet at once making a Fruit Pizza, sometimes individual ones like these.   For these, this time, I used a Sugar Cookie Bar recipe to try something a bit different, although I usually use more of a regular cut-out cookie dough recipe.  These turned out great and I may stick with this recipe but make them not so high next time.

You can use whatever fruit you like. I think kiwi is requisite at our house and berries are always welcome. Bananas, mandarins, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, apples, etc....... Melons are not among my favorite toppings for this however.  Remember if you use fruits that brown easily like bananas to toss them with some lemon juice to curb the browning.  

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup butter; room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract flavoring
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & almond and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).  I find it easiest to make little patties and piece them all together.  It seems like not much but it will rise to the rim of the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.  I also cook it at a lower temp for longer often to give the middle time to catch up before the edges get to browned.

Cream Cheese Topping

2 8oz packages of Cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Beat all ingredients together until smooth.  You may add more sugar if desired, I like the less sweet mixture against the sweetness of the cookie bottom and tart/sweet of the fruit.

Because of the cream cheese and fruit you do not want to assemble this too far in advance, it will keep in the refrigerator for a day however and depending on the type of fruit and how juicy it is etc.

Spread Cream cheese mixture on top of baked cookie sheet.  If you are cutting pieces ahead of time, do this now and then place fruit.  If you would rather do the fruit pizza route then place fruit on as desired and then cut slices.    This makes about 48 squares as baked in a sheet pan, and of course how you slice it.

Grape Salad

I realize this picture is not very good but I wanted to share this recipe with you.

It comes from my husbands family (Thanks B for the recipe) and my daughter fell in love with it. So when we had to take a pot luck item recently and I had a bag of grapes that we needed to use it fit the bill. It is easy enough that my daughter made it herself. We left out a little sugar to make it not as sweet. We also only had red grapes on hand.

Grape Salad

2 lbs green grapes
2 lbs red grapes
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

topping

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Remove grapes from vine and wash. beat sour cream, softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add grapes and fold together. Mix brown sugar and walnuts and sprinkle over the top of the grapes. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

Dixie Salad

One of my favorite things about having Thanksgiving with my Sister's family is that her daughter always brings traditional Southern Utah Dixie Salad.  I looked around for a recipe online and couldn't find one that sounded just like hers.  So I broke down and called her.  Horror, I know, what kind of family doesn't call each other?  Mine.  At least I don't.  Maybe it has to do with my not liking to call anybody in general.  As a secretary in PTA and Church I have to call people often, but I do not like it.  Maybe it's because I usually am calling to ask them something and have a fear of rejection.  Anyway I asked her and was pleased with her answer.  4 simple ingredients.  Some recipes I found had mayonnaise and pineapple and one or two other things, they just didn't sound as appealing.

Pecans
Pomegranate
Apples
Whipped Cream

Pecan trees are everywhere in my Sister's little town.  You can hardly walk down the street without crunching some under your feet.  And since it's warm pomegranates grow very well too.  Thus the 'Dixie', as southern Utah is often called, in the Dixie Salad.  I love the crunchy sweet combination and it feels like I'm eating healthy, although the whipped cream doesn't exactly help in that area.  You need a little dairy though, right?

You can combine the ingredients in any proportion you would like.  I made a small salad just for myself this time for lunch. So it only had 1 apple, 1 small pomegranate and a handful of nuts. I also used whipped table cream because that is what I had on hand, and not much of it to keep it healthier for me.  But I do like a lot of cream on it.   You can add some sugar to the cream or use cool-whip as well.