Puttin' On The Ritz

Cooking in the 1970's was all about convenience.  Most any dish could be fashioned from the contents of a can, or box, or pre-packaged mix.  Cooks of the time, if my mother was any example, also enjoyed using convenience items in other recipes.  Of course, the finished product was just a conflagration of several different packages, but sometimes it was also really, really good!
Ritz Cracker Pie is one example.  My favorite way to eat a Ritz is smeared with peanut butter.  My second favorite way is this pie.  It's so good, in fact, that I remembered the way it tasted and looked it up in order to make it for my family. 
I've tweaked the original recipe just a bit, so as not to sacrifice quality for convenience.

Ritz Cracker Pie
Light in texture and taste, this is a great summertime dessert!

What's In It:

3 lg. eggs, separated (We'll only use the whites.  I feed the yolks to my dogs.  It makes for a shiny coat!)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (No imitation!)
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (Use a good brand.  It matters)
1 c. (about 35 crackers) Ritz cracker crumbs (Do not substitute)
1/2 c. chopped, toasted pecans
1. c. whipping cream (The original recipe calls for Cool Whip.  I never do.)
2 tbl. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

How To Make It:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Using butter, grease 9 inch pie plate.
Beat egg whites with 1 tsp. vanilla until soft peaks form.  Combine baking powder and 3/4 c. sugar.  Gradually add egg whites and continue beating until peaks stiffen.  Fold in chocolate chips, cracker crumbs, and toasted pecans.  Spread in bottom of prepared pie plate and bake 25 minutes.  Cool completely.
Whip cream into soft peaks.  Add 2 tbl. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Spread over cooled pie.  Chill one hour or until ready to serve.
Garnish with your favorite caramel sauce.

© Copyright 2009-2010 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved

Fruit Pizza: The Quintessential Summertime Dessert

She was the boss, so we'd have eaten, and praised, whatever she brought.  To our great delight, she brought Fruit Pizza.  I can still taste my first bite.  Since then I"ve made it several times and have never had so much as a sugar-cookie crumb leftover.

Fruit Pizza is the quintessential summer dessert, because it's beauty and texture is limited only by your imagination!  Experiment with the fruit, but stick to the main recipe.  The preserves are crucial to both taste and presentation.

This dessert does not keep well...but this won't be a problem.

What's in it:
1 18-oz pkg. of refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature (Save your money.  For this application, the store brand works just as well.)
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese at room temperature(Store brand, again)
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract(Avoid imitations)
Choose several of the following, or experiment!  Fresh blueberries, bananas(sliced), mandarin orange sections, seedless grapes(halved), strawberries(halved), kiwi(peeled, and sliced thin), blackberries, peaches(sliced), apricots(sliced).  I don't recommend apples, lemons, or limes...
1/2 c. orange, peach, or apricot preserves(I usually use apricot, but orange rind does add something)
1 tbl. water

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Press cookie dough onto ungreased 14-inch pizza pan, covering completely and evenly.  Bake 12 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and cool.

While the crust is baking, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl.  Spread over cooled crust.  Arrange fruit over cream cheese layer in a over-lapping circular pattern.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, make a glaze by heating preserves with water.  Pour glaze, evenly, over fruit, taking care to cover fruit that could turn dark(think peaches and bananas!)  Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings, depending on the size of the slice.







© Copyright 2009-2010 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved