Cherchies Blog

Refreshing Fruit Pizza Recipe

desserts, breakfastSheri Spallone2 Comments
Refreshing Fruit Pizza Recipe

Refreshing Fruit Pizza Recipe

This refreshing dessert pizza recipe is a new "twist" on an old classic and is the perfect recipe to take advantage of summer's glorious berries and fruits.  

Growing up, my mother occasionally made this special treat for my sister and me, using whatever fruit was available, and topped it off with a delicious marmalade glaze. (Secretly, I think she made this dessert so her daughters would eat their fruit. We were picky eaters. Clever mom, using a cookie as a disguise).  

This pretty dessert pizza recipe is easy to make; it uses whatever fruit you have on hand (canned or fresh) and is a fun family project for any occasion, any time of year. It features a sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, fresh berries and fruit, and Cherchies® Fig Preserves. I have made this decadent dessert over the years with my babies, with different combinations, and it was a hit every time. Now that my babies are in college, they still like to bake with mom. :) They recently made this dessert for Memorial Day and arranged the strawberries and blueberries to resemble an American flag, but the decorating options are endless. We finished the dessert pizza with a glaze using our Fig Preserves, amping up Mom's original recipe. I did not have time to photograph their creation because it didn't last long.

Are you ready to try this tasty dessert pizza recipe? It is easy and flavorful; it is fun to make and can be made any time of year in whatever design you desire, using whatever fruit is available. 

Thank you for visiting! Stop back again for more tasty recipes!

Comment below if you have made this recipe.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough

  • 1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese softened

  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) vanilla

  • 4 cups assorted fruit (blueberries, strawberries, kiwi)

  • 1/4 cup Cherchies® Fig Preserves (you could substitute your favorite preserves or marmalade)

  • 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) water

Preparation

Heat oven to 375.  Line a 12-inch pizza pan (or any kid of round sheet) with foil; spray with cooking spray. Press cookie dough into pan to completely cover pan.  

Bake 14 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool completely.  Invert cookie onto plate.  Gently remove foil. Turn crust over onto plate.  

Meanwhile, while cookie pizza is baking, mix together the cream cheese and the powdered sugar and vanilla, and spread cream cheese mixture onto entire cooled cookie.  Now the fun begins...

Then load up the pizza with whatever fruit makes you happy.  In this case, I used kiwis, strawberries, and blueberries.  My mother’s recipe called for mandarin oranges, but for some reason my children don’t like them (silly kids).  If I had had Clementine’s on hand, I would have used them.

Arrange the fruit onto the pizza.  The possibilities are endless.  This is a great family or kid’s party activity.  How fun would it be to arrange the fruit into a face?

Wait for it...

Now the "piece de resistance", the glaze!  Mix the Cherchies Fig Preserves with the water, and drizzle over the pizza...

Yummy goodness!  Dig in:)

 

 

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Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

salad dressings, salads, side dishesSheri SpalloneComment

This tasty, tangy, colorful Greek-style pasta salad is the perfect side dish to bring to your next party or potluck.

I love making this easy, flavorful, refreshing salad, especially in the summer. It is the perfect excuse to take full advantage of summer's bounty without spending much time in the kitchen. Your family or guests will devour this dish, as it has garden fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, creamy feta cheese, and a tangy champagne honey lemon vinaigrette (featuring Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard), bringing this dish from great to extraordinary. To make this pasta salad heartier, add some leftover protein, like chicken or shrimp, for an easy, refreshing summer meal. This recipe is best made the day before the event, as the flavors intensify, but making it the day of, earlier in the day, would be perfectly fine.

So grab some vegetables from your garden or your favorite farmer’s market, and make this delightful Greek pasta salad today. You will not be disappointed.

Comment below and let us know if you made this recipe. Thank you for visiting. Come back and revisit us for more delicious recipes, cooking tips, and entertaining ideas.

Enjoy!

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups cooked orzo pasta

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped seedless cucumbers

  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes (can use cherry tomatoes cut in half if you'd prefer)

  • 1/2 cup heaping cup crumbled feta cheese

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced purple onion

  • 1 teaspoon Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

  • 1/2 cup Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained

  • Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

  • Champagne Honey Lemon Vinaigrette (below)

  • Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Ingredients for champagne honey vinaigrette

  • 1 Lemon, (zest, and juice)

  • 1/2 tsp thyme

  • 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Dijon mustard

  • 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 Salt and pepper

  • 1/2 cup Olive oil

  • 1/4 cup White wine vinegar

Preparation

Chop the onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and place them in a large bowl.  Season with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and set aside. Whisk all ingredients of vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.  Drain Pasta.  

Add the drained orzo to the salad.  Then add Cherchies® Pretty Peppers and lightly season with pepper. Right before serving, add the vinaigrette.

Next add the Feta cheese and mix to combine.  Add more dressing to taste.  Serve immediately. (*The flavors intensify if made a day ahead).

Tangy, refreshing Lemon Greek Salad.  Enjoy!

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

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Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Recipe

appetizers, entrees, lunch, saladsSheri SpalloneComment
Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Salad Recipe

Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Salad Recipe

Cook Time: No cooking!  

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

Makes 2-3 crab stacks (or 1 if you're really hungry:)

If you want to wow your guests with a light, tasty lunch, salad, or appetizer, this stacked crab tower bursting with flavor is the perfect recipe for you! Your guests will think you spent hours creating this mouth-watering masterpiece. 

I recently had a variation of this recipe at a local restaurant, and since then, I have been obsessed with recreating it at home; however, the thought of making it myself seemed daunting. That was until I learned I could make this crab stack with a soup can rather than buy another kitchen tool. Hello! Determined to satisfy my crab craving and make something other than our usual crab cakes (which are delicious), I was going to create this tasty culinary tower!

And create I did. I made and treated myself to this delicious stacked crab salad featuring crab, mango, and avocado and drizzled it with a tangy citrus cilantro dressing. And I felt like Mrs. Fancy Pants:) This delicious recipe was not daunting; it was easy, delicious, light, and bursting with flavor, and it all came together in minutes! I will make this for my next "girl's night out" and serve it with crackers as an appetizer.

So, are you ready to get stacking? Grab your soup can and make this delicious crab mango and avocado salad today. Have fun creating different combinations, but report back. We would love to hear about your variations. I may add chopped red onion and our Pretty Peppers to the layers the next time I make this.

Thanks for stopping by; here is how we made it!

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Ingredients

Preparation

Slice an avocado in half, remove the pit by inserting a knife and twisting, score the avocado with a knife, and scoop out pulp into a small bowl. Squeeze one half of the lime over the avocados and gently mix.  Set aside.

Peel mango with a vegetable peeler, cut the fruit off the mango, cut into small chunks, and place the mango in a separate small bowl.  Open both ends of a soup can and reserve contents for another time (perhaps you want soup with this delicious salad).  Thoroughly clean the can.  (If using a can of crab, simply open both ends, empty contents, clean and use in your crab stack).

Drain the crab and place in another small bowl.  Prepare the dressing by mixing the rest of the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning.  Set aside. Now, let's get stacking!

Place the can on a plate.  Carefully add the avocado to the can and gently press the avocado in the mold with a spatula or spoon.  Next add the mango followed by the crab and tamp down just as you did with the avocado.

Carefully push the stack through the can with a spatula onto the plate.  Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.  Behold, the Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Salad!  Enjoy:)

Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Salad Recipe

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Tex-Mex French Bread Pizza Recipe

entrees, leftovers, lunchSheri SpalloneComment
Tex-Mex French Bread Pizza Recipe

Tex-Mex French Bread Pizza Recipe

Cook Time:  10-15 minutes

Difficulty:  Extremely Easy!

I know there are some leftover haters out there. It's okay...I confess, I used to be one of them! Growing up, I did not understand the concept of eating a meal twice in a row, so as you can imagine, our dog was well-fed...sorry Mom if you're reading this...now you know;) Also, when it came to leftovers and wasting food, another thing I did not understand, my mom would often refer to a money tree growing in the backyard...except I never saw one!  Crazy parents! :)

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As a mom of three, I totally get the concept of leftovers, saving money, wasting less, and of course, the money tree. (I have been known to tease our teenage children occasionally...they look at me like I am crazy...crazy kids).  

I see leftovers as a creative challenge to create new masterpieces, to save money, and to waste less. Amen!  For this round of leftovers, I made Tex-Mex French Bread Pizzas, using leftover chicken, sweet and robust Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa, savory Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend, and of course French Bread and gooey cheese!  Sounds dreamy, right? These pizzas hit all the flavor notes and were devoured in minutes!

If you have not added French Bread Pizzas to your recipe cache, you need to do so, and this Tex-Mex version will quickly become a family favorite!  Your pizzas will disappear and so will your leftovers! The money tree?  Not so much!

What is your favorite French Bread Pizza Recipe?  We would love to hear from you!  Thank you for stopping by:)

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice a baguette or Italian bread in half vertically.  Place bread halves on a baking sheet.  Spread each slice with a generous amount of spaghetti or pizza sauce (maybe 1 cup?  It all depends on the size of the bread).  Sprinkle the diced chicken or turkey over the bread halves.

Next, add the Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa over the chicken.  Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning (or to taste).  Of course, what pizza wouldn't be complete without the cheese?  Add the cheese to you heart's delight...add some more...you decide, it's ok!

If you're wondering about the brown stuff in the first picture, it's taco meat.  I also had leftover taco meat I added to one half of the pizza (a previous pizza night:)  Plop the pizzas into the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until pizza is golden brown and the cheese is melty.  Slice into individual portions and enjoy!

Tex-Mex French Bread Pizza Recipe

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