Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Serves: 12
Crust:
2 cups, coarsely chopped pretzels
3/4 cup of butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sugar
Cream cheese layer:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip®, thawed
Strawberry topping layer:
2- 3 oz. packages of strawberry gelatin (Jello®)
2 cups of boiling water
2 - 10 oz. packages of frozen strawberries, thawed
Make the crust:
1. Heat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Process pretzels and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar together in a food processor until the pretzels are the texture of coarse sand, about 15 seconds (it’s OK if there are some larger pieces). Add 1 & 1/2 sticks of melted unsalted butter and pulse to combine.
3. Transfer the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Use the bottom of a flat measuring cup or your fingers to press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake until fragrant, for about 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
Make the cream cheese filling:
1. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together in a stand mixer until smooth. Fold in thawed Cool Whip until thoroughly incorporated.
2. Transfer onto the crust and spread into an even layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Make the strawberry topping:
1. Whisk together 2 (3-ounce) boxes of powdered strawberry gelatin and 2 cups of boiling water in a medium bowl until the powder is completely dissolved. Let cool slightly at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
2. Slowly add the thawed strawberries to the gelatin mixture and carefully pour over the cream cheese filling to cover and distribute strawberries evenly. Refrigerate uncovered until firmly set, at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.
3. Cut into 12 pieces and garnish with whipped cream and a slice of strawberry if desired. Enjoy!