Description
A festive and layered dessert featuring a salty pretzel crust, a creamy sweet cheese layer, and a bright fruit gelatin topping, perfect for Christmas gatherings.
Ingredients
- Crust: 2 cups crushed pretzels
- Crust: 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- Crust: 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Cream Cheese Layer: 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- Cream Cheese Layer: 1 cup granulated sugar
- Cream Cheese Layer: 1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (like Cool Whip)
- Topping: 2 (6 oz) packages strawberry or raspberry gelatin (e.g., Jell-O)
- Topping: 2 cups boiling water
- Topping: 2 (10 oz) packages frozen sliced strawberries or raspberries, thawed
Instructions
- For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, combine crushed pretzels, melted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
- For the Cream Cheese Layer: In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping until no streaks remain. Spread this mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, ensuring it touches the edges of the pan to prevent gelatin from seeping into the crust. Refrigerate while preparing the topping.
- For the Topping: In a separate bowl, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. Stir for at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add the thawed fruit (undrained) and stir. Let this mixture cool to room temperature (it’s important it’s not warm when poured over the cream cheese layer).
- Carefully pour the cooled gelatin mixture over the cream cheese layer.
- Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight, until the gelatin is completely set.
- Cut into squares and serve chilled.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese layer touches the edges of the pan to seal the crust before adding the gelatin.
- It is crucial that the gelatin mixture cools to room temperature before pouring over the cream cheese layer to prevent melting.
- For best results, chill the salad overnight.