Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

So I am that person who always brings dessert for potlucks.  I am always to scared to bring anything else.  I totally need to build up my confidence on other food. 

A popular dessert I have started making is strawberry pretzel dessert.  If you have never had it you are for sure missing out.  It's a cold dessert that is a layer of strawberry jell-o, cream cheese filling, and pretzel crust.  

I like to use butter pretzels.  There is something about the buttery salty taste that makes the crust so yummy. 

Lots of pretzels because crust is always delicious. 

This is a super easy crust. 

The best part is that baking the crust makes your whole house smell delicious. 

This dessert contains such simple ingredients. 

The cream cheese filling is so yummy.  This can totally be used as a dip for fruit too.  BUT try not to sample too much of it because you want all the cream cheese filling to make sure that the layers keep separated. 

Why is strawberry Jell-O so good?

Jell-O always smells so good!

Make sure you spread the cream cheese layer all the way to the side of the dish.  This is VERY important as it keeps the Jell-O layer from seeping through to the other layers. 

Adding strawberries isn't a must but it sure makes this dish taste good.  However, I have totally added strawberries AND blueberries to make this dish festive. 

This dessert is super easy to make.  It takes a little time but skill level is for sure easy. 

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
Ingredients:

• 6oz package strawberry Jell-O
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 1/2 cups salted pretzels
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8oz package cream cheese, soften
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 8oz tub cool whip, thawed
• 1lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Combine strawberry Jell-O with 2 cups boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.  Set aside to cool to room temperature. 
3. Crush 2 1/2 cups pretzels in a sturdy Ziploc bag using a rolling pin.  Melt butter and add 1/4 cup sugar and mix.  Mix in crushed pretzels.  Press into a 9x13 glass casserole dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Cool to room temperature. 
4. Beat 8oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy.  Fold in 8oz Cool Whip until no streaks of cream cheese remain.  Spread mixture over cooled pretzels.  Make sure to go all the way to the edge of the dish to create a seal.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. 
5. Stir in strawberries into Jell-O.  Pour and spread strawberry Jell-O mixture evenly over cooled cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate to set (2-4 hours). 

This is totally a favorite in my family and friends.  If you have the time make this dessert.  You will not regret it!


Keep cooking friends!
XOXO

Hugs Pretzel Sandwiches

I am trying to get back to cooking and blogging now that I am slowly recovering from my cold.  My poor husband has been living on take out and sandwiches/soup. 

Now that it is December something festive is a must!  I have been wanting to make these Hugs Pretzel Sandwiches for weeks but every store I have been to has been out of the pretzels that I need.  Finally I got my hands on a bag of the Snyder's Butter Snap pretzels.  There is nothing really special about these pretzels except for the fact that they are square shaped and perfects for sandwiching things. 

Hugs Pretzel Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 bag Hershey Hugs
1 bag Snyder's Butter Snap pretzels
sprinkles

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil.
2.  Lay out pretzels across cookie sheet.
3.  Unwrap Hershey Hugs and place one on each pretzel
4.  Place cookie sheet in oven for about 5 minutes or until Hershey Hugs start to melt (they will get shiny) 
5.  Pull cookie sheet out of the oven and place a pretzel on top of each Hershey Hugs and press down.  Sprinkle with some holiday colored sprinkles for decoration. 
6.  Cool completely before eating.  DO NOT EAT UNTIL CANDY IS HARD AGAIN!  Trust me!

You must make these!  They are super simple and oh sooooo yummy!  And with the right colored sprinkles these can be adapted for any holiday. 

Keep cooking my friends. 

XOXO

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

Who does like chocolate?  Who does not like peanut butter?  Who does not like the sweet and salty combination?  No one!  This cookies is amazing!  Just thinking about them makes me want to start up another batch.  This cookie has chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels.  Yes, that's right.  I said pretzels.  It's such a yummy combination.  The chips make the cookie sweet and the pretzels add salt and crunch to the cookie but leaves the chew texture.  Oh it's heaven.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies
Adapted from Sugar Cooking

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces

Directions:
1.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
2.  Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
3.  Add egg and vanilla extract.
4.  Add dry mixture and beat until just combined (do not over mix)
5.  Stir in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels.
6.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
7.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
8.  Use ice cream scoop to scoop out batter to make cookies (dough does not spread)
9.  Bake for about 9 minutes.

These cookies have not lasted very long in my house.  I may need to make more soon.  They are that good.  I think the only thing I would change is to double the ingredients so there will be more cookies!  Muahaha!

Enjoy!
XOXO