A good friend of mine makes a strawberry pretzel salad for our potlucks and I have to tell you, by the time I get to that dish (one of my favorites), I have to scrape the sides and bottom to get a taste because it is just that popular. I found a similar recipe to share with you and I may have to make two, one to share with family and another to share at work.
We also had a letter from Tracey in Smyrna Mills. She has shared winning recipes with us before, and sent us a recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie. Thanks, Tracey! Strawberries are ready in some areas and will be soon in others.
Have a wonderful week, drive safe and enjoy your family!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the pretzels, 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.
In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.
Tracey’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Pastry for a two-crust 9” pie-Pillsbury or your favorite recipe
1 1 /2 cups sugar
1 /3 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 /2 inch pieces
2 cups strawberries cut into pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon in a large bowl, set aside.
Put rhubarb and strawberry pieces into sugar mixture, stir together. Set aside.
Roll out crust and place into glass pie plate. Stir mix once more and place into crust, dot with butter and put top crust on. Slit top crust for steam vents and cover edges with foil. Remove foil 15 minutes before done. Bake for 40-50 minutes until crust is brown and filling is bubbling.
These were all submitted to me as “family favorites” throughout these past few months. So, with that kind of recommendation, how can we go wrong?
Barbeque Beans
1 pound ground beef
4 (16 ounce) cans baked beans with pork
1 (4 ounce) can canned chopped green chili peppers
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup barbeque sauce (your own favorite-If sweet, cut back on the
sugar-taste as you go)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (I like Uncle Frank‘s Red Hot Sauce), or to taste
Directions: In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink; drain fat, and set aside. In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker, combine the ground beef, baked beans, green chili peppers, onion and barbeque sauce. Season with brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder and hot pepper sauce. Cook on high for two hours, or low for 4-5 hours.
Frozen Chocolate Cookie Dessert
12 Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed
2 tubs (8 oz. each) cream cheese spread
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
4 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
1 cup thawed whipped topping
Directions: Press crushed cookies onto bottom of 9-inch square pan lined with foil. BEAT cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add condensed milk and chocolate, mixing well after each addition.
Add whipped topping; stir gently until well blended. Spoon over crust. Freeze at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Cut into squares to serve. Store leftover dessert in freezer.
Frozen Mudslide Pie
1 (9 inch) prepared chocolate crumb crust
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 teaspoon Instant Coffee
1 teaspoon hot water
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup Baking Cocoa
2 tablespoons Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels
Directions: Melt 1 cup morsels in small, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat. When morsels begin to melt, remove from heat; stir. Return to heat for a few seconds at a time, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes.
Combine coffee granules and water in medium bowl. Add sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in melted chocolate until smooth. Spread into crust; chill.
Beat cream, powdered sugar and cocoa in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with mini morsels. Freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm.
Most requested recipe this year: Cindy from Washburn and Manny from Patten said they made this recipe last year for the Fourth of July and they were the most popular people in their neighborhood, although Manny said he used caramel topping on one and half fudge and half caramel on the other.
I changed the name of this next one to protect the innocent. While it makes an unrealistic claim, it is truly worthy of a quiet moment.
Better Than “Intimacy” Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups hot fudge topping—-(a friend used caramel ice cream topping
instead and loved it)
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered English toffee
Directions: Bake German chocolate cake mix according to package directions. While cake is still very warm poke holes in top of cake with the end of a wooden spoon, pour sweetened condensed milk over top. Let cake cool. Pour hot fudge topping over top of cake and let set. Spread on whipped topping and garnish with crushed Heath Bars (toffee crumbles).
I really enjoy this time with you each week and would love to hear from you. Do you have any requests? Is there a recipe you have been looking for or remember from your younger years? Can I help you find it? Do you have any recipes that are special to you that you could share with us? Please contact me at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
