Mexican Wedding Fruit Pizza (& A Bridal Shower)

This past weekend, I threw a bridal shower for my sister with all of the other bridesmaids.  It was tea party themed with lots of little appetizers and treats.  I made all of the food except for a few salads and deviled eggs made by my aunt and my cousin.  It was the first time I've completely catered a party of any sort, and it was so much fun.  I planned it all out and froze everything that could be frozen (cookies, unfrosted cupcakes, bread, pretzel bites) two weeks ahead of time so I wouldn't be racing the clock at the end.  It was such a fun bridal shower, and everything went smoothly - the food was a hit!  It was a lot of work, but it really paid off, and I had so much fun doing it!  We had 23 people in total at the shower, so we all crowded around our two tables; it was tight, but I think it worked out decently enough!

The menu for the shower was:

Mini Ham & Cheese Pretzel Paninis

Crostini with Spinach Artichoke Dip and Tomato Basil Bruschetta

Pasta Salad (made by Aunt Sue)

Deviled Eggs (made by Aunt Sue)

Watermelon Feta Mint Salad (made by my cousin, Sara)

Vegetable Pizza (made by my mom)

Mini Mexican Wedding Fruit Pizza

Mini Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Chip Tea Cookies

Maple Nut Scones with Cappuccino Glaze

Iced Strawberry Lemonade

Assorted Tea/Coffee

Oreo Kiss Truffles as favors

I'll be sharing most of the recipes in the next few blog posts, so I'll start with one of my favorites:  Mexican Wedding Fruit Pizza.  I saw this originally on Blue Bonnets and Brownies for a virtual baby shower, and I thought the idea was perfect for this shower I was throwing for Jenny.  I loved the idea of using a mexican wedding cookie as the base instead of a normal shortbread - perfect for a bridal shower! I was so pleased with the taste of these - the sweetened cream cheese on the wedding cookie base was wonderful all on its own, and adding the gentle tartness of the fruits really gave it a little something extra.

I made about 80 total of these by doubling the recipe, and there were maybe 3 left at the end of the shower.  They're addictive!

For the bases, I used both a silicone brownie squares mold that Alex's mom gave me and a muffin tin (filling only the bottom of each).  I like the variety it gave to the shape, and it allowed me to prep more as I was baking since I only have the one silicone mold.

 And did I mention the bases are pretty delicious on their own?  Go ahead, try a few.

Mini Mexican Wedding Fruit Pizza

Cookie Base:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 T vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the pecans and vanilla until fully incorporated.  Add in the flour and mix until just combined - don't overmix!  Spray each well with cooking spray (if using a silicone baking mold, this is unnecessary).  Using a small cookie scoop, drop one scoop into each well of the pan.  Press the dough down so it covers the bottom of each well evenly.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden.

Sweetened Cream Cheese:

1-8oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 T vanilla

Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.

Assembling:

sweetened cream cheese

cookie bases

2 peeled, sliced kiwis (halved)

6-8 sliced strawberries

blueberries (about 2 or 3 per cookie base)

Once the cookies are cool, spread with the sweetened cream cheese so it is fully coated.  Top each with a slice of strawberry, kiwi slice and a few blueberries.  Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

All components can be prepared a day ahead of time, but don't assemble all of the ingredients until at least a few hours before the party so they do not get soggy.  The cookie bases are able to be frozen weeks ahead of time in an airtight container; allow to thaw out in the fridge overnight the day before you need them.

Disclaimer:  While these have fruit on them, they are by NO MEANS healthy.  While they seem like a lighter option, and they do have some healthy fats and protein from the nuts (and the fruit helps, too), they are chock full of butter and sugar, so if you're looking for a healthy option, this is not it.  I've been seeing my post cropping up on fitness and health sites, and I don't want any of you to be mislead!  They're delicious either way, and I think they're worth the few extra calories.