Special Strawberry Surprise
The surprise in Special Strawberry Surprise is not the strawberries: there's a ruby layer of sweet, summer strawberry slices right on the top, inviting you to slice into it and enjoy its sweetness. The real surprise in this Special Strawberry Surprise is what's underneath! A tangy, creamy whipped topping layer that balances the vibrancy of the fruit, and a crunchy, salty pretzel crust. What will probably surprise you the most is just how much you love this dessert!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces strawberry gelatin mix
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups salted pretzels, measured before crushing
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces frozen imitation whipped topping, thawed in the fridge
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Directions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- 2
Combine the strawberry gelatin mix with the boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.
- 3
Set the gelatin mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
- 4
Use a rolling pin to crush the pretzels in a sturdy resealable bag.
- 5
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- 6
Add 1/4 cup of the sugar to the butter and stir.
- 7
Mix the crushed pretzels into the butter mixture.
- 8
Transfer the pretzel mixture to a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish and press it evenly over the bottom of the dish.
- 9
Bake the pretzel crust until set and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
- 10
Allow the pretzel crust to cool to room temperature.
- 11
Once the pretzel crust has cooled, use an electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and the remaining sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and white.
- 12
Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture until no streaks of the cream cheese remain.
- 13
Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the cooled pretzel crust and spread it out to the edges of the dish to create a tight seal.
- 14
Refrigerate the crust and the topping mixture for 30 minutes.
- 15
Stir the strawberries into the room temperature gelatin.
- 16
Pour and spread the strawberry gelatin mixture evenly over the cooled cream cheese layer and refrigerate until the gelatin is set, about 2-4 hours.
- 17
Serve.