Strawberry Pretzel Salad (or Raspberry)

photo by: Marg (CaymanDesigns)

If you asked Richard or Craig what there favorite jello salad was – this is it!  Craig even said that he wanted it for his birthday instead of cake or brownies!  This jello salad is made in three separate steps, so you need to plan ahead, but it is totally worth the extra time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2  cups thin pretzel sticks, crushed

I find it easiest to put pretzels in a zip-lock bag and crush them with a mug or side of a meat tenderizer mallet.  Measure out 2 cups – trying not to include too much of the dusty salty parts.

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

3 T.  white sugar

Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3 T.  sugar.

Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake 8 – 10 minutes, until set; set aside to cool.

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, room temp

1 (8 oz) tub cool whip, softened

1 cup sugar

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing until the sugar is dissolved.

Fold in whipped topping.

Spread mixture onto cooled crust.  Refrigerate 1 hour.

NOTE:  I could only find whole frozen strawberries so I partially thawed them and then smashed them up with my pastry cutter.

2 cups water

2 – 3 oz.  pkg. strawberry jello

2 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen strawberries, undrained and slightly thawed

1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained (optional)

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.

Stir in frozen strawberries and allow to set briefly.

When the mixture is about the consistency of egg whites, pour and spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate overnight or until firm.

FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES —

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

2  cups thin pretzel sticks, crushed

3 T.  white sugar

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, room temp

1 (8 oz) tub cool whip, softened

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

2 – 3 oz.  pkg. strawberry jello

2 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen strawberries, undrained and slightly thawed

1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3 T sugar.  Mix well and press mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake 8 – 10 minutes, until set; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar.  Fold in whipped topping.

Spread mixture onto cooled crust.  Refrigerate 1 hour.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.

Stir in frozen strawberries and allow to set briefly.

When the mixture is about the consistency of egg white, pour and spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate overnight or until firm.