Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

I love this dessert. The balance between the fruit, sweet, and salty it perfect. This is a great recipe to make year round and for some reason the only time my family ever makes this is for Christmas Eve! Doesn't it make a pretty 4th of July dessert?

When my family makes this we buy the frozen sugared strawberries in a carton. You can find the frozen strawberries in the frozen dessert section of your local grocery store. They come in a 24 ounce container so a little more than you need for the recipe. Sometimes I add a little extra or I eat the rest because they are so yummy. :)

This recipe is really easy but you need to plan ahead so you have enough time for each layer to cool before you add the next layer.

This recipe is from the Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale Cookbook, 1984.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert Recipe

First Layer:

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 2/3 cups pretzels

3 Tbsp. sugar

Second Layer: 

1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 sm. carton cool whip

Third Layer:

1 lg. box strawberry jello

1 cup boiling water

1 cup cold water

1 - 20 oz. pkg. strawberries, fresh or frozen

Roll pretzels with rolling pin until you have 2 2/3 cup crushed pretzels. Do not make too powdery. Melt butter and add sugar and pretzels. Press into a 9x13 pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Prepare middle layer by creaming together cream cheese and sugar. Add cool whip. Spread over cooled pretzel layer. Let set in refrigerator until firm.

Mix strawberry jello with water. When the mixture starts to congeal, add strawberries. Pour over the cream cheese mixture and place in fridge until firm.

This is such a sweet, decorative dessert. No matter who you make it for they're sure to love it!

What's your favorite 13x9 summer dessert?
Comment below!

Megan

Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake

I enjoyed making this smooth chocolate cake with a mixture of frostings and fillings! This summer-y chocolate cake is perfect for any of your summer gatherings. Chocolate, fresh fruit, and cool whip for a light, cool summer treat.

I did make a few different layers. First, I iced the bottom cake with chocolate icing and layered it with strawberries topping with a layer of cool whip. I added another layer of strawberries and cool whip so the top layer would have something to stick to.

I used the chocolate frosting to ice the top and then used the rest of my thinly sliced strawberries to decorate the top.

I used almost 2 pounds of fresh strawberries for this cake!

Thanks to NellieBellie.com for the chocolate cake recipe!

Chocolate Cake Recipe 

3/4 cup soft butter

3 eggs at room temp.

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa 

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

Grease pans (either 2 round 9 inch pans or one 13x9) and either flour or coat with cocoa. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Beat butter for 30 seconds or so. Slowly add sugar.

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Beat in vanilla.

Add dry ingredients beating after each addition.

Add half of the milk, beat, and then add the other half. Beat just until everything is nicely combined.

Spread batter evenly into pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes for round pans, 5 minutes or so longer for a 13x9 pan. Watch them! A toothpick inserted in the middle that comes out clean means it is done! 

Let cool completely before icing. 

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

1/2 cup soft butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk

Beat ingredients together. Add additional cocoa, sugar, and milk to taste.

Note: I did not ice my whole cake, I left my sides bare. If you are making this to ice the whole cake I would double or triple this recipe to make sure you have enough frosting.

What's your favorite cake/fruit combination?
Comment below!

Megan