Thursday, November 10, 2011

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad - The answer to everyday jello!

If you live in the state of Utah, you know the area's affection with the Jello Salad.  At every holiday gathering, you're guaranteed to see at least one.  And the variations are wide and bizarre.  Yes, I have seen the cake pan full of Jello with fruit cocktail mixed in.  I have beheld tons of bundt cake or other elaborately molded jellos laced with every fruit imaginable.   I have even seen the infamous Green Jello with Carrots and I was adequately horrified. Most Jello concoctions are frightening and just don't taste that good. 

That is, until my sister brought this dish to a family gathering.  It's delicious.  It has the sweetness of the raspberries and the Jello, the tartness of the cream cheese and the saltiness of the pretzel crust.  Yes, pretzels.  How do pretzels taste in Jello?  About 20 times better than the grainy bits of "melon" that is in fruit cocktail, that's all!

It's borderline to call this a true Jello dish, because it has so many other ingredients, but it only takes 20 minutes longer that boiling up some jello and dumping a can of fruit cocktail in a mold.  And best of all, it won't make your family members feel like they have to politely choke it down.  They'll go back for seconds.

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad
Serves at least 12

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large box raspberry Jello
2 pkg. frozen raspberries


Mix together crushed pretzels, melted butter and the 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Then press the combined ingredients into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool for about 20 minutes. Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip and 1 cup of powdered sugar; pour and spread over pretzel crust.
Dissolve large package of raspberry Jello in 2 cups boiling water. Add 2 packages of frozen raspberries, not drained. Mix well and pour over cream cheese. Chill for two hours.

So if you're required to bring the Jello at Thanksgiving, bring this instead so you do not inflict another Jello Horror upon your loved ones.

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