Strawberry Dessert

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

2 cups pretzels, finely crushed 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 tablespoons sugar 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup sugar 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed in fridge
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon orange extract or lemon extract
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry gelatin 2 cups boiling water
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries, par thawed and sliced

Directions
1Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2Stir together first 3 ingredients.
3Mix well and press into bottom of 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
4Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
5Set aside or refrigerate to cool.
6In a large mixing bowl, or in a stand mixer cream together sugar and cream cheese, gradually add in extracts.
7Fold in Cool Whip gently until mixture is fluffy.
8Spread mixture onto cooled pretzel crust.
9In separate bowl, dissolve gelatin into boiling water.
10Stir in frozen strawberries and allow to set until about egg white consistency. If you use fresh stawberries, this will take longer, but if you use frozen, it will be very quick.
11Once correct consistency, pour and spread evenly over the cream cheese layer.
12Refrigerate until fully set.

My daughter requested this dessert as part of her graduation meal.

For more great recipes visit the blog Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and at Blissfully Domestic