Strawberries showcased with pretzel and cookie crumbs, and cream cheese, makes our Fresh Strawberry and Cream Dessert a spring showstopper.
Fresh Strawberry and Cream Dessert
Make 12 servings
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 cup vanilla sandwich cookie crumbs (about 12 cookies)
- 1 cup pretzel crumbs (about 2 cups miniature pretzel twists)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Filling:
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Topping:
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ pounds fresh strawberries, trimmed and sliced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil; spray with cooking spray.
- For crust: In a large bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pretzel crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Press in bottom of prepared pan.
- Bake until golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Let cool completely.
- For filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar with a hand mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Spoon on top of cooled prepared crust, and spread to edges with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until set. Cut into bars.
- Meanwhile, for topping: In the work bowl of a food processor, process hulled strawberries and granulated sugar until smooth. Transfer strawberry mixture to a large bowl and let stand for 1 hour.
- Drain strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, into a medium saucepan, discarding solids. Stir in cornstarch, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Stir in sliced strawberries and vanilla, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve bars with strawberry topping.
