remember that wonderful bbq i went to when i was in maryland? it was hosted by my mama Judy's sister, Ruth. (btw, mama judy is aaron's mom. and aaron has been my best friend for like 7 years) anyway, Aunt Ruth made this wonderful strawberry jello salad that i absolutley fell in love with. from the pretzel crust to the sweet cream cheese center to the jello chocked full of strawberries, this sweet and salty dessert is hands down one of my favorite things. ever.
i was thinking about this wonderful dish the rest of the weekend and on my flight home, when it hit me. I have a recipe for that! my bff Sara got me this sweet cookbook for my birthday this year called "Baked Explorations:Classic American Desserts Reinvented" and it has this very recipe in it!
i will always associate this recipe with Aunt Ruth, her wonderful hospitality and beautiful family; but you can just call it Strawberry Jello salad if you don't have an Aunt Ruth!
you'll need:
8 oz (about 4 cups) salty pretzels
1 1/2 sticks butter, cubed
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 lg box strawberry jello
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 block cream cheese-room temp
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
9x13 baking dish
prepare the jello according to box. add sliced strawberries and refrigerate until partially set (45 minutes to 1 hour) *i wasn't sure what "partially set" meant. my jello was still runny after an hour, so i used it and it came out wonderful. if anyone can educate me on that, awesome* make the crust and filling while you wait for jello to set.
preheat the oven to 325 degrees. grease the bottom and sides of your baking dish. in a food processor (or with a rolling pin and pretzels in a baggie) pulse pretzels into coarse crumbs. DO NOT crush the pretzels into a powder! in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. (cubing the butter helps it melt faster and more uniformly) whisk in sugar and remove from heat.stir in pretzel pieces. press mixture onto the bottom of your pan. bake crust for 10 minutes and then cool completely.
beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer on med speed until well combined. whip the cream with whisk attatchment until soft peaks form (you can also whisk by hand..if you have that kind of time!) fold into cream cheese mixture.
spread the cream cheese mixture over cooled crust (make sure you spread the mixture all the way to the edges of the crust to for a sort of seal so the jello doesn't seep down onto your pretzels and make them soggy!) pour partially set jello over cream cheese. refrigerate dessert for at least 2 hours before serving.
can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to three days.
now grab the button and link up!
i was thinking about this wonderful dish the rest of the weekend and on my flight home, when it hit me. I have a recipe for that! my bff Sara got me this sweet cookbook for my birthday this year called "Baked Explorations:Classic American Desserts Reinvented" and it has this very recipe in it!
i will always associate this recipe with Aunt Ruth, her wonderful hospitality and beautiful family; but you can just call it Strawberry Jello salad if you don't have an Aunt Ruth!
you'll need:
8 oz (about 4 cups) salty pretzels
1 1/2 sticks butter, cubed
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 lg box strawberry jello
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 block cream cheese-room temp
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
9x13 baking dish
prepare the jello according to box. add sliced strawberries and refrigerate until partially set (45 minutes to 1 hour) *i wasn't sure what "partially set" meant. my jello was still runny after an hour, so i used it and it came out wonderful. if anyone can educate me on that, awesome* make the crust and filling while you wait for jello to set.
preheat the oven to 325 degrees. grease the bottom and sides of your baking dish. in a food processor (or with a rolling pin and pretzels in a baggie) pulse pretzels into coarse crumbs. DO NOT crush the pretzels into a powder! in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. (cubing the butter helps it melt faster and more uniformly) whisk in sugar and remove from heat.stir in pretzel pieces. press mixture onto the bottom of your pan. bake crust for 10 minutes and then cool completely.
beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer on med speed until well combined. whip the cream with whisk attatchment until soft peaks form (you can also whisk by hand..if you have that kind of time!) fold into cream cheese mixture.
spread the cream cheese mixture over cooled crust (make sure you spread the mixture all the way to the edges of the crust to for a sort of seal so the jello doesn't seep down onto your pretzels and make them soggy!) pour partially set jello over cream cheese. refrigerate dessert for at least 2 hours before serving.
can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to three days.
now grab the button and link up!
