Some food items are just so very pretty, delicious-looking and irresistible that you have to make and eat them.

Watermelon pizza is one such tempting dessert that I couldn’t get off my mind until I made it and had it. And I am glad I did, for it was everything that it looks like — sweet, juicy, creamy, refreshing and light.

Watermelon pizza is a different take on the more traditional fruit pizza, where a cookie crust is used as the base. Here the crust is a delicious slice of juicy watermelon, covered in cream and fruits. Technically, this is a fruit salad, or dessert, dressed up as a pizza, ideal for a party with lots of youngsters.

Traditionally, cream cheese frosting (made with cream cheese and Greek yoghurt) is used in fruit pizzas, but as I like to use easily available ingredients and less expensive alternatives, I simply I opted for fresh cream, sweetened with powdered sugar. And I loved how the light creamy sweetness complemented the cool, juicy fresh fruits!

The kind of refreshing and thirst-quenching item you need for Iftar after a hot day

For the topping, use fresh fruits of different colours, that can be sliced into small pieces or placed whole, like berries. Since strawberries are the only berries available these days, I used that, along with Kiwi fruit, banana and cheeku (mudapples). I used pieces of banana-flavoured jelly to add more colour, texture and taste.

Ingredients

• 100 fresh cream

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

• 1 banana

• 1 Kiwi fruit

• 2-3 strawberries

• Jelly pieces

Method

It is super easy to put together, and the ingredients really do not require any proper measurement, since you use as much stuff as you want to use and need, depending on the size of the watermelon. I made only one pizza, using one slice of a medium-sized watermelon, cut about 2 to 3 inches thick, and had a good amount of fruit pieces leftover, not to mention watermelon, which we consumed later on.

In a medium bowl, beat cream and powdered sugar until nice and smooth. Cover and chill while preparing the fruits. Slice watermelon right down the middle and cut a 2 to 3 inches thick round slice.

Using a spatula, spread an even layer of cream around the watermelon, leaving a bit of empty space at the edge. Layer the fresh fruit and jelly on top as you please, adding as little or as many toppings as you like!

You can also opt to cut smaller slices (triangles) of watermelon and then top it with cream and fruits individually, but I find that too time-consuming. Chill until time to serve. For best results, prepare the ingredients and then assemble the pizza closer to serving time, otherwise the fruit pieces on top can get a little shrivelled.

The writer Instagrams @the_experimentalcook

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 8th, 2023