Strawberry Pretzel Delight (aka my hubby's favorite summer treat)

Some food items just scream summer. Watermelon. Popsicles. Hot dogs. Strawberries....and therefore, strawberry pretzel delight. My husband loves this dessert that his mother used to make in the summers. Graciously, she shared her recipe with me, and we break it out when the weather gets warm. It is a big hit at parties, and so I thought you might enjoy the recipe as well!

Strawberry Pretzel Delight

Crust:
2 cups crushed pretzels
3 T sugar
3/4 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients together, and press into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 glass pan. Cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. regular Cool Whip-thawed
1 cup sugar

Combine ingredients in mixer and beat until well mixed and smooth. It is helpful to beat cream cheese and sugar together before adding in Cool Whip. Spread filling over cool crust all the way to edges, making sure to 'seal' the edges so the topping doesn't drip down to the crust (if topping 'runs' to the crust, the crust will turn soggy instead of crunchy). Refrigerate for 30 min-1 hour before adding topping.

Topping:
6 oz. box strawberry jello
2 cups boiling water
2 10 oz. packages frozen strawberries *

Combine jello and water and stir until jello is dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and pour over filling. Refrigerate overnight to set topping. Enjoy!

* If using fresh strawberries, use 2-3 cups of sliced strawberries. It is even better to slice and freeze fresh strawberries before adding them, as the frozen berries help cool the strawberry jello mix.