Passport & Plate - Strawberry Pretzel Salad
USA | Tuesday, February 18, 2014 | 1 photos
Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored Jell-O®
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries
How to prepare this recipe1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3 tablespoons sugar; mix well and press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3.Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set. Set aside to cool.
4.In a large mixing bowl cream together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Spread mixture onto cooled crust.
5.Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in still frozen strawberries and allow to set briefly. When mixture is about the consistency of egg whites, pour and spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until set.
The story behind this recipe If summer had a taste, it would be of strawberry pretzel salad. Almost every July 3rd since I was a child, my mother and I have spent the afternoon preparing the Jello dish for our family picnic the following day.
This year, Mom pushes a rolling pin over a pile of pretzel sticks, grinding them into crumbs for the dish’s salty crust. They crack and crunch on the table. She asks me to take over, and rubs her shoulder while I finish. The rich scent of melted butter fills the kitchen while the crispy crust bakes. A loud fan whirrs and the back door hangs open in an attempt to dispel the oven’s heat.
We sit at the kitchen table and chat while the crust cools and we prepare the next layer. The bright July sun shines through the window. I look at Mom and see the weariness in her eyes, though she rarely complains. She’s selfless, and would never show up at a family event without something to share.
I blend Cool Whip, cream cheese and sugar into a sweet fluff, and delicately spoon it into the pan. The kitchen heats up again while Mom stands at the stove, boiling water for the glistening strawberry Jello. One hand stirs berries into the pot, while her other hand rests on her back, trying to hold in the ache.
The only year we never made strawberry pretzel salad together was in 2002. Independence Day fell two months after Mom’s car was hit by a reckless driver. Dad and I sat silently in a hospital room that 4th, watching her lay sleeping.
Once semi-set, we pour the final layer on top, and I bend down to put it on the bottom shelf in the fridge. I smile up at my mom, and she smiles back. Our project complete, she goes to the living room to put her feet up. Mom doesn’t remember the year we didn’t celebrate the 4th, which is just as well. But now, she would never miss a picnic, just as I would never miss the chance to make our favorite summer dessert together.
