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
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil; spray with cooking spray.
  2. For crust: In a large bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pretzel crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Press in bottom of prepared pan.
  3. Bake until golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Let cool completely.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Serve bars with strawberry topping.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/fresh-strawberry-cream-dessert/