Valentine: Brownie Dessert Pizza

I love baking with my kids.
I especially love baking with my kids when its food that I will actually let them eat.

Now, brownies and cream cheese aren't exactly the ideal foods for little growing bodies, but I do love that they can eat massive amounts of strawberries!
And this Brownie Dessert Pizza is so easy to make! (I adapted a recipe from here)

I simply made my favorite brownies in a flat sheet pan. Katie from goodlifeeats.com has this fantatic recipe that is amust try. I don't know about you but I adore fudgey brownies!
Using cookie cutters, cut out various sizes of hearts.

I then grabbed a container of big, luscious, juicy red strawberries and cut them into heart shapes.
Next I made a cream cheese spread.
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1/2 cup powder sugar
1/2 tsp clear vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients well.
(You have no idea how hard it was to add ONLY 1/2 cup powder sugar. My favorite cream cheese ever has FOUR cups! But the above recipe definitely works with the rich brownies and naturally sweet berries)

Simply spread the cream cheese over the brownie getting as close to the edges as you want.
I read on other recipes that you are to only go to within 1/2 inch of the edge, but to that I say hoo-ey. Spill it over the edge if you want!
Next I added some of my sliced "heart" strawberries.
This is where you can get creative! Make fun designs, add more fruit, drizzle with melted chocolate or pink candy heart sprinkles. The sky is the limit!

(I personally love the LOOK of sprinkles, but cant stand eating them. I realize I probably just offended the world with that admission. You may dislike me for the next 7 minutes. But then lets be friends again ok???)

If you want everything to set all pretty for a nice romatic Valentines dessert you can throw this in the fridge for a bit.
If you have no self control whats-so-ever you can just take a bite right here and now.
If you remembered that you were actually going to share with the kids, it might be good to go help them with their assembly.

I just gave each kid a brownie pre-frosted. I also gave them a mini brownie treat so they knew what they were making. Once they tasted the deliciousness they were SO excited to assemble their own!
Hint: Have extra strawberries on hand. My kids kept asking if they could just eat the strawberries and I kept saying, "YES!!" eat as many as you want! (in my head thinking, yay! Please get full on the one healthy part of this treat!)

My oldest loved to pile the strawberries high.
Overall, this is such a fun and easy treat for mom and kids!
(If you want to make things even easier on yourself, make the brownies the day before, cut out your shapes and refrigerate them. For extra motivated moms, make it weeks before and freeze the brownies!)