My aunt has been making this recipe for years & has given me a few pointers....as Hollyfae said, be sure & make sure your cream cheese is all the way to the edges of the pan & sealed (to keep the jello from seeping under the cream cheese & making the crust soggy). It's also helpful to chill the cream cheese really well before topping w/ the jello. Sometimes I like to add an 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple in w/ the strawberries (Paula Deen's version)
A hit every time I make it! Do not try to substitute low fat cream cheese or cool whip... the white layer just won't come together as nicely. I learned the hard way. Multiple times. Make sure to spread the white layer all the way to the edges and get a nice seal so that the jello layer doesn't seep into the bottom. In the spring and early summer, when strawberries are in season around here, I also slice some fresh berries into the jello for presentation.
I love this recipe but found it much better if after the jello is all disolved I add 4 ice cubes until melted then add an 8 oz tub of whipped cream to the jello mixture and mix til smooth then adding the strawberries after. It stays more firm and has a wonderful creamy taste to it.
SOME TIPS: This is an easy recipe to follow, but I can understand why people are having a problem with the layers. Thru my experience, this is what I did and didnt seem to have a problem with any of the layers seeping thru. FIRST-COOL THE CRUST COMPLETELY!! SECOND-CREAM THE SUGAR AND CREAM CHEESE THOROUGHLY! SPREAD ON PRETZEL MIXTURE AND REFRIGERATE AT LEAST 30-45 MINUTES. PREPARE JELLO AS DIRECTED BY DISSOLVING COMPLETELY FOR TWO MINUTES AND ADD FROZEN, SLICED STRAWBERRIES. LET SIT FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES STIRRING FREQUENTLY DURING THOSE FIVE MINUTES UNTIL IT IS LIKE A JELLIED, SOFT TEXTURE. I USED A METAL WHISK TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. POUR OVER REFRIGERATED CREAM CHEESE LAYER. REFRIGERATE UNTIL SET, ABOUT A COUPLE OF HOURS. HOPE THIS HELPS!!!!
This was really fun to make. I only added just a little vanilla to the cream cheese/whipped topping layer. Other than that, I made no changes. I did follow other reviewer's suggestions and chill the layers in-between layering. Made for an easier time of layering. I also made sure to go right to the edges with the cream cheese layer to keep from the jello layer from seeping through and making the "crust" soggy. Fun! EDITED NEXT DAY: I LOVED the top and bottom layers. They were wonderful together. The bottom layer was.....just not right for this dessert. If I were to make this again, I'd double a recipe for graham cracker crust and use that instead of the pretzels. It just wasn't good. EDITED AGAIN A WEEK LATER: I made this again today with a crust made from Lorna Doone cookies. I just followed the same recipe, only using two sleeves of crushed Lorna Doone cookies. Much better.
EDITED YET AGAIN: I made the top layer today with Blackberry Fusion Jello and this summer's blackberries. Fabulous. Not as overpoweringly sweet as the strawberries.
I wasn't sure how fine to crush the pretzels...I opted for somewhere around coarse but it wasn't right. Next time I'll crush more. Nonetheless my guests enjoyed this wierd dessert and one person even asked for the recipe -- and knowing the tough crowd I prepared this for that is the highest compliment! I'll be making this one again.
I followed this recipe exactly except that I mixed up the jello boiling water and frozen strawberries and let it sit at room tempeature for 30 minutes while the crust and cream cheese layer chilled. Then I let the whole dessert chill overnight. I also only baked the crust for 8 minutes. This is a very tasty recipe and people absolutely love it.
Also good with Raspberry gelatin and use frozen raspberries....not in juice, just frozen. I also use 1/2 cup of powdered sugar rather than 1 cup of sugar....it's plenty sweet. The cream cheese layer does need to be chilled for about 45-60 minutes and I chill the gelatin for about 40 minutes then add the frozen berries....pour that onto the cheese layer. It is a great potluck recipe.
Followed the recipe to the letter. Looked like everything set but when I cut and served it, the strawberry top slid off the runny middle and was a mess. Tasted good but was not pretty. Any suggestions as to what could have gone wrong?
