Work Mom's Recipe of the Week

Huge Cookie with Fruit
Servings = 10
Time = 1 hr

Ingredients
2 sticks butter, room temp
1 c shortening, room temp
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla or almond extract
5 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 pint strawberries
1/2 pint blue berries
1/2 pint raspberries
1 package cream cheese
1/4 c confectioners sugar

Directions
Preheat overn to 400 F. In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. In another bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add flour mix to butter mix; combine with fingers until it forms dough. On a large round stone, press the dough into a 1/4 inch thick round cookie (should be 12 inches in diameter - if you have too much dough, make a couple small cookies to eat). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just golden on edges. Remove and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, wash the berries. Trim the strawberries and halve. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese with sugar - first with a spoon, then with the electric mixer - until smooth. When the cookie is cool, spread the cream cheese over and decorate with the berries. Cut like a pie to serve.

Notes - The finished product is lovely and great for BBQs. It's a perfect desert to make with kids. They can measure and mix the ingredients and decorate with fruit. You can add a drop of food coloring to the cream cheese to make it light yellow or pink. You can substitute any fresh fruit for the topping - blackberries, sliced plums, kiwi are good options.

By: Mindy Brooks