Strawberry Pretzel Layered Dessert

Today we are visiting cousin Katie her husband Cory and her little baby boy Everette.  They just moved into a new house and are having a pot luck!  Yay!  Another excuse for me to make something.  I learned this recipe in a Toast masters meeting.  The exercise that day was giving instructions.  One of the girls did a presentation on how to make pretzel salad dessert and she even brought samples.  This recipe is so good.  There is a crunchy pretzel layer and a creamy cream cheese layer. It has sweet and salty flavors as well.  It is just so good!  Be prepared to share the recipe because more times that not someone will ask you for it. 

Ingredients:
3 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
3 TBSP granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 package cream cheese softened
1 tub whipped topping, thawed
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large package strawberry jello
4 cups water
12 oz frozen strawberries or mixed berries

Make the crust:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the pretzels into a zipper bag or use a food processor and crush them.  You want smallish sized pieces not pretzel dust.  Melt the butter and pour into a 8x11 baking dish.  Mix in the pretzels and the granulated sugar.  Spread this mixture evenly onto the bottom of your pan.  Bake for 7-8 minutes.  You will see the mixture bubbling.  Don't bake it for more than 8 minutes or you will have concrete instead of a nice crust.  Sprinkle top with kosher salt.  Set aside and let it cool completely.

Make the Jello topping:  Dissolve the jello in 2 cups boiling water.  Add 2 cups very cold water and frozen berries and let set just a little in the fridge about 20-30 minutes.  Its ok if it looks a little  bit lumpy. Don't forget about it or you wont be able to top your dessert! 

Make the cream cheese filling:  With a hand mixer or stand mixer mix the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar together.  Fold in the whipped topping.  It will look like marshmallow cream when it is blended.  Let this set in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Cameron snuck this out of the sink!

Build your dessert:  Very gently spread the cream cheese filling over the completely cooled crust.  Be sure the spread all the way to the edges of the pan so your jello won't leak through to the crust.  Pour the jello on top of the cream cheese layer.  Cover and put it back into the fridge to let it set up completely. Its best if  it sets overnight. Be ready to share the recipe!  Everyone loves this dessert!

Remember, spread all the way to the edges.