Frozen Strawberry Crunch

This is a “lick the bowl” dessert!!!  I call it “Heaven in a pan!!!”   It is so cool and refreshing and absolutely delicious!!                     I am in love with it!!!!

NOTE:  Pictures show me using a stand mixer.  I found that this is not a good idea and switched to a regular bowl and hand mixer.  There are not enough ingredients to fill the bowl enough and the ingredients don’t get whipped up like they should.

1 box Nature Valley Oats and Honey Granola Bars (Make sure you save the box tops for your local school!)

Process Nature Valley Granola Bars in a food processor until you achieve a course crumb.  If you don’t have a food processor, put Granola bars in a zip lock bag and pound them into crumbs.

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

6 T. butter, melted

In a large bowl, add the crumbs, brown sugar, flour and melted butter and mix together.

Line an 8 x 8 glass pan with parchment paper.  Add crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Let cool.  Divide in half and set aside.

NOTE:  If you don’t have parchment paper, just add crumbs to the pan and bake.  Spread crumbs on a cookie sheet to cool.

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

In a large bowl, combine egg whites and sugar and mix on high.

(Don’t you just love my totally awesome egg separator!!  A friend gave it to me for Christmas one year.  I love it!!)

1 cup whipping cream

Add the whipping cream and continue mixing for another 5 minutes.

1 lemon

Squeeze the lemon into a small bowl so you can pick the seeds out.  Add to the mixture.

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

Add softened cream cheese.  Mix on low speed until incorporated.

1  1/2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

Fold the strawberries into the cream mixture.

Butter the 8 x 8 glass pan and press half the crumb mixture on the bottom.

Top with strawberry cream mixture.

Add the remaining crumbs on top.

Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours.  You can make and freeze this ahead.  Just make sure you take it out of the freezer at least 2 – 3 hours before servings so it has a chance to thaw a bit.

RECIPE SOURCE:  Revised from Sugar and Charm (found on Pinterest)

 

FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES —

FROZEN STRAWBERRY CRUNCH

1 box Nature Valley Oats and Honey Granola Bars

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

6 T. butter, melted

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1 lemon

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

NOTE:  Do not use a stand mixer to prepare this recipe.  There are not enough ingredients to fill the bowl enough and the ingredients don’t get whipped up like they should.

Process Nature Valley Granola Bars in a food processor until you achieve a course crumb.  If you don’t have a food processor, put Granola bars in a zip lock bag and pound them into crumbs.

In a large bowl, add the crumbs, brown sugar, flour and melted butter and mix together.

Line an 8 x 8 glass pan with parchment paper.  Add crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Let cool.  Divide in half and set aside.

NOTE:  If you don’t have parchment paper, just add crumbs to the pan and bake.  Spread crumbs on a cookie sheet to cool.

In a large bowl, combine egg whites and sugar and mix on high.

Add the whipping cream and continue mixing for another 5 minutes.

Squeeze the lemon into a small bowl so you can pick the seeds out.  Add to the mixture.

Add softened cream cheese.  Mix on low speed until incorporated.

Fold the strawberries into the cream mixture.

Butter the 8 x 8 glass pan and press half the crumb mixture on the bottom.

Top with strawberry cream mixture.

Add the remaining crumbs on top.

Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours.  You can make and freeze this ahead.  Just make sure you take it out of the freezer at least 2 – 3 hours before servings so it has a chance to thaw a bit.

RECIPE SOURCE:  Revised from Sugar and Charm (found on Pinterest)