Strawberry Pretzel Salad (small batch)

Today is Canada Day in Canada, or what used to be called Dominion Day!  All over the country people will be gathering together to celebrate our country's birthday!  There will be BBQ's, Picnics, fireworks, and much celebration.

This Strawberry Pretzel Salad is the perfect dessert to serve for such an occasion! In a few days it will also be the 4th of July which is the American Independence Day celebrations and they will be celebrated in much the same way!

 

 

In many communities which border both countries, the two holidays will be combined into one slap bang celebration!  In any case living in two such beautiful countries is a cause for celebration any time!  We truly are blessed and the flags will be flying!

As I said Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe is the perfect dessert to serve. Not only is it delicious, but it can be made well ahead of time. This recipe I am sharing with you today has been adapted from one I found on Spaceships & Laser Beams.

 

The original recipe served 12 people. I have downsized it to serve only 6, which is still plenty big in my opinion. When I get together with my family there are usually only four of us!

I also adapted it to use all natural ingredients.  The original recipe used Cool Whip which is a frozen whipped dessert topping that you can buy here in Canada.  It is made from petroleum by products,  and that doesn't sit well with me. I would rather use real whipped cream.

Holidays aside, this is the perfect recipe for this time of year. It is strawberry season and the local berries are coming in fast and furious. I wait all year for strawberry season.  I have made it a habit not to indulge at any other time of year.

Strawberries out of season are always lackluster in my opinion. They just don't taste right. Their flavor is pale and anemic in comparison to in-season berries.  There is just no comparison. This means that, living in a Northern Temperate climate, I only eat fresh strawberries in June and July!  It was the same in the UK.

 

I don't know why this is called a Salad.   Its obviously not a salad. Its a dessert, and a most delicious one at that. If you know the answer to this question, please enlighten me!

Its actually one of those retro desserts, like Watergate Salad, that goes way back.  Salad or dessert, it matters not. What only matters is the taste and this one is delicious!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

Very simple ingredients.  There is nothing complicated here. There are three levels/layers to this simple and tasty summertime dessert.

For the base:

• 1 3/4 cups (210g) crushed mini pretzel twists
• 6 TBS (85g) butter, melted
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar

For the filling:

• 6 ounces (170g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar

For the topping:

• 2 cups (400g) fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
• 1 (4 serving size) strawberry fruit jello (jelly)
• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
• 1 cup (240ml) cold water

 

I find the easiest way to crush the pretzel twists is to pop them into a zip lock baggie and then give them a good bash the the side of a rolling pin.  You could use a food processor as well, but I like my base to have a bit more texture.

In the UK you can use the Hartley jelly mix.  Strawberry flavor. 

If you are watching your sugars, by all means use a sugar free jello mix.  There will still be sugar in the base and filling, but you will have cut your sugar down by a third, which is something at least.

 

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

It is really quite an easy make. It might seem long, but that is only because you need to let each layer set up a bit before you add the next, and the baked base must be completely cold before you add the other layers.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin.

Crush your pretzels and mix together with the sugar and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

Whip the cream cheese together with the sugar and vanilla until smooth and well amalgamated. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold into the cream cheese mixture thoroughly and then spread on top of the cooled pretzel crust. Place in the refrigerator to chill for half an hour.

 

Mix the jello powder with the boiling water, stirring to dissolve completely. Stir in the cold water. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. Fold in the strawberries and pour this mixture carefully over the cream cheese filling in the pan.

Return to the refrigerator and leave to chill for at least two hours, or until the strawberry layer is firmly set.  Cut into squares to serve.

 

This is the perfect summer dessert!  Not only does it embrace the colors of our Canadian flag, but it is cool and simple to make.  When you add delicious on top of that, its just the best!

It is the perfect combo mix of crunchy, salty, sweet, creamy and fruity!  Dessert really doesn't get much better than this.  I do so love refrigerator desserts like this one!

Here are some other Refrigerator Desserts that you might also enjoy. Keeping the heat out of the kitchen is the best!

EASY LEMON REFRIGERATOR DESSERT - This is a tasty dessert you can adapt to your own tastes.  Shortbread biscuits/cookies are soaked layered in a tin and then topped with a lush creamy lemon filling.  Its then refrigerated until everything sets up. Cut into squares it goes down a real treat with your favorite dessert toppings. Whipped cream, toffee sauce, chocolate sauce, etc. We like it topped with strawberry jam!

REFRIGERATOR FUDGE CAKE - A vanilla cake base is poked with holes creating little tunnels for the homemade chocolate fudge filling (which is poured over top of the baked cake) to ooze into, creating little divots of fudge filling throughout.  Topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings this always goes down a real treat! I don't know anyone who doesn't love this!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 H & 15 M

This is a small batch recipe for everyone's favorite summertime dessert. What you have here is a pretzel crust, a lush creamy filling and a fresh strawberry jelly topping. What's not to love!

Ingredients

For the base:

• 1 3/4 cups (210g) crushed mini pretzel twists
• 6 TBS (85g) butter, melted
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar

For the filling:

• 6 ounces (170g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar

For the topping:

• 2 cups (400g) fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
• 1 (4 serving size) strawberry fruit jello (jelly)
• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
• 1 cup (240ml) cold water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin.
2. Crush your pretzels and mix together with the sugar and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
4. Whip the cream cheese together with the sugar and vanilla until smooth and well amalgamated. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold into the cream cheese mixture thoroughly and then spread on top of the cooled pretzel crust. Place in the refrigerator to chill for half an hour.
5. Mix the jello powder with the boiling water, stirring to dissolve completely. Stir in the cold water. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. Fold in the strawberries and pour this mixture carefully over the cream cheese filling in the pan.
6. Return to the refrigerator and leave to chill for at least two hours, or until the strawberry layer is firmly set.
7. Cut into squares to serve.

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