Strawberries and Cream

How did you spend Valentine's Day this year?

I spent it in typical romantic fashion...

Snuggling and kissing....

this cutie:

I went home to PA for the weekend to see Daisy (and my parents), and, since it was snowy and ridiculously cold, we spent a lot of time indoors, reading, napping (mostly me and Daisy again), and baking (mostly me and Mom.  Daisy was not helpful). 

For our Valentine's Day treat, we made one of my favorite desserts, which I hadn't had in a long time, despite the fact that, during my childhood, it made an annual appearance around this time of year.  I've heard similar recipes called by many names, but in my family we just always called it by the very original moniker of the "Strawberry Pretzel Dessert."

Like many wonderful things in life (parfaits, cakes, outfits from JCrew), it has layers.

It's also has that wonderful combination of salty AND sweet, while still being light and refreshing.

Let's get started, shall we?

To make enough to feed a crowd (or only about 6 if they are pros like my parents and me), you will need:

2 cups of crushed pretzels
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted

2 cups of Cool Whip
1 8oz. brick of cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar

2 3oz. boxes of Strawberry Jello
2 cups hot water
2 10 oz. bags of frozen strawberries

For the bottom layer, mix your crushed pretzels, sugar, and melted butter together and then press into a 9 x 13 pan. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, and then allow it to cool completely before moving on to the next layer.

For this one, you'll need to blend your cream cheese and the cup of sugar, and then fold in your Cool Whip.

Once everything is combined, spread the mixture over your pretzel crust.

Pop the pan in the fridge to chill while you finish the final layer.  Start by emptying the Jello packets into a bowl and adding the hot water (it should be close to boiling). 

Stir until the Jello dissolves and then add your strawberries.

Allow the Jello to set up for a few minutes and then layer it over the top of the cream.

And you're done! 

I know that it may be tempting to dive in right away, but stick the pan back in the fridge for a few hours.  You need to give it time to chill and set up.  Otherwise, when you serve it, you'll have a bit of a runny mess (which no one appreciates, especially on Valentine's Day).

It'll be worth the wait, I promise.  This is what you have to look forward to:

A cool, creamy, and fruity dessert that's a festive choice for Valentine's Day (and more unexpected than chocolate) but just as good at any time of year.

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