Category: strawberries

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is one of my all-time favorites! If you want to trick yourself into thinking you’re eating something healthy, then you can also call this Strawberry Pretzel “Salad”.

My mom’s birthday was this Thursday, and since her birthday is in June, she usually requests a lighter, non-chocolatey dessert. For previous occasions we’ve made her strawberry layer cake, tres leches cake, a hot milk sponge cake, etc. Notice a trend? If you clicked on all of the recipes, they all had strawberries on top! She’s a big fan, as am I!

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

For those that like the sweet-salty combination, this dessert is for you. It’s got a slightly salty crust from the pretzels, a cool, creamy cool whip and cream cheese center, and a light and refreshing topping with strawberry Jell-O and fresh strawberries. Yum!

Matt is actually not a pretzel fan (he actually doesn’t like ANY crust to any dessert…pies, you name it), so he doesn’t eat the pretzel bottom of this dessert. One time I made it for him and substituted crushed graham crackers for the pretzels. It was still a good combination, but it of course was not as salty, and the graham cracker crust got slightly more soggy as it sat in the fridge as compared to the pretzel crust.

My mom had a great birthday and as you can guess, as not much is left of this dessert (or salad, if you wish to call it). Enjoy!
Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed
  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 6 oz. strawberry gelatin
  • 20 oz. frozen strawberries, partially thawed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. FOR THE CRUST: Mix butter, pretzels, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Cool.
  3. FOR THE CREAM LAYER: Mix the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and whipped topping. Spread over the cooled pretzel layer.
  4. FOR THE STRAWBERRY LAYER: Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add strawberries and stir until partially thickened. Pour over whipped topping layer.
  5. Chill overnight before serving

 

Strawberry Santas and a Very Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve! As a kid, I always enjoyed Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day.  The reason?  Our family opens presents on Christmas Eve! Our grandparents would come in town, we’d eat light sandwiches for dinner and start opening gifts at 7:00 or 7:30.  Santa would come that night and we’d open the presents from him on Christmas Day. What do you do on Christmas Eve/Day?
Now for the treats… when I saw these cute little Strawberry Santas on Pinterest, I just had to make them! They are super festive, tasty and pretty easy to assemble. They would also be a perfect appetizer on Christmas Eve night. Enjoy!!

Strawberry Santas
Ingredients
1 lb. large strawberries 
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
6 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 cup Cool Whip
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top, (enough for a hat). Clean out the whole strawberry with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already). Prep all the strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, Cool Whip and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.
3. Once strawberries are filled, top with the ‘hats’. Decorate according to photo.
4. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.
Yield: 4-6 people