Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

My grandma introduced me to this delicious SALAD years ago. My husband and youngest child insist it is dessert. Either way, it is one of my favorite holiday dishes - a little salty & a whole lotta sweet. The secret lies in its crust.

After years of making it myself, I have perfected my pretzel-crushing technique.

The key is using a heavy, flat-bottomed glass. And not crushing them too small.

Melt a stick of butter, add it to the crushed pretzels along with a half cup of the sugar.

Mix well and then pat it into a 9x13 pan and back for 6 minutes at 350 degrees.

While it is cooling, mixed together the middle layer.

Which of course, includes more sugar :) Once mixed, you'll have a vat of creamy goodness.

Spread it onto the crust and move onto the next layer. Which is the part that includes fruit.

Well, sort of... because it's in all sorts of sugar. So to balance things out, you might want to use a little sugar-free gelatin.

After you've dissolved the gelatin with boiling water, the frozen fruit serves to thicken it. Keep stirring until all but a handful of chunks remain. Add this layer on top of the creamy goodness, being careful not to splash red gelatin all over yourself. Or your cookbook.

A better solution might be to pick up one of THESE darling aprons ;) Here's the final product and recipe:

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

1-1/2 c. crushed pretzels
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 large carton Cool Whip
1 c. sugar
1 large pkg. raspberry Jello
2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen raspberries
2 c. hot water

Mix crushed pretzels, 1/2 c. sugar, and butter. Pat into 9x13-inch pan. Bake 6 minutes at 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip, and 1 c. sugar. Pour over first layer. Dissolve Jello in hot water. Add frozen raspberries. Allow to thicken slightly. Pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate.

Personally, I enjoy it best as leftovers. Enjoy!