It was a hit a perfect refreshing dessert after an afternoon of hot dogs and pasta salads.

Some of my cookbooks have variations on the formula, including one made with pineapple, but I wanted to go for the famous strawberry version.

That same year, Dee Carney submitted the Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe to вЂњ Black-Eyed Susan Country,вЂќ a cookbook benefitting Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore. The widowed sisters each partook in various social and charity groups, and apparently traded recipes. Jacob Pfleeger died of illness in 1951, while ClaraвЂ™s husband Lt. For instance, one version of Pennsylvania Dutch Shoofly Pie is made with a pretzel crust. The German community connection may explain the affinity for pretzels. Paul Meiners, PfleegerвЂ™s parents were German immigrants. That sister was Katherine Pfleeger, who lived in their home state and married Jacob W. Stephan (maiden name Clara Eller) was 77 at the time she entered the contest, and Florida newspapers reported that she was surprised by the win, which earned her a new freezer.Дespite all of the glory, Clara Stephan didnвЂ™t claim to have invented the recipe, admitting that she got it from her elder sister in Illinois. Stephan won the grand prize in the festivalвЂ™s recipe contest with Strawberry Pretzel Salad, and the recipe has been a вЂwomenвЂ™s pagesвЂ™ favorite ever since. In 1975, the dessert got its big break at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. In June 1974 the recipe appeared in the Bemidji, Minnesota Pioneer вЂњCooking with CandaceвЂќ column under the more fetching name вЂњStrawberry Pretzel Surprise.вЂќ Picking strawberries near Plant City, FL, c. Meiners for certain, but I found a Paul Meiners in the Chicago area, the son of German immigrants. The first newspaper appearance of Strawberry Pretzel Salad that I found was in 1972, in the Chicago Tribune, as вЂњPretzel-Crust Strawberry Dessert,вЂќ attributed to Mrs. Without that itвЂ™s just a Jell-o fruit salad. I believe that the layered strawberry concept may have appeared in Jell-o recipe books вЂ“ but the pivotal flourish- the pretzel crust вЂ“ was not included. Some sources also refer to this as a вЂњSouthernвЂќ dish for whatever reason, but we wonвЂ™t bother with that. noted that the earliest known (as of this post) instance of the dish in the 1960 вЂњBrentwood Civic Club CookbookвЂќ from Brentwood Pennsylvania, contributed by Gerry Franz Sullivan, a daughter of second-generation German immigrants in the Pittsburgh area. Zoller of the вЂњIвЂ™ll Make It MyselfвЂќ food blog wrote a great little zine on the topic and debunked this. Many online sources incorrectly state that the salad originated with the 1963 вЂњJoys of Jell-oвЂќ cookbook. Pretzel crust lemon chiffon pie became a new twist on lemon pie and other desserts. The Warren County Observer in Pennsylvania promised readers that they would вЂњsay it has a crunchiness and toasty taste thatвЂ™s perfect for a lemon meringue pieвЂќ in 1954. вЂњSounds dizzy but tastes great,вЂќ the Orlando Sentinel declared in 1953. 1950s recipe columns encouraged home cooks to give pretzel crust a try. Pretzels used as a crumb crust for pies may not be as ubiquitous as graham crackers, but the idea is not unheard of. ItвЂ™s the kind of вЂњSuzie HomemakerвЂќ recipe that gets frequently requested from newspapers, and that people love to claim is of their own inspired invention. It requires just enough assembly to be special. Fruit Jell-o creamy whipped filling and then вЂ“ surprise! вЂ“ a crunchy salty bottom-crust. All rights reserved.вЂњStrawberry Pretzel SaladвЂќ is the stuff of potluck legend. Refrigerate until the gelatin is set, about 4 hours and up to overnight.Д¬opyright 2022 Television Food Network, G.P. Use a ladle to carefully spoon the gelatin mixture on top of the chilled cream cheese mixture. Add 2 cups of cold water to the mixture and stir to combine. Continue to stir constantly until the gelatin has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the strawberry gelatin. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cooled pretzels, making sure that it goes all the way to the edges so that no pretzels can be seen, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.Д«ring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Transfer to a medium bowl and fold in the whipped topping until well combined. Meanwhile, clean the food processor, add the cream cheese and pulse 5 to 6 times to soften, scraping the bowl as needed. Bake until the pretzels are set and slightly more golden than before, about 10 minutes. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Add the pretzels, sugar and butter to a food processor and process until crumbled and well combined.

Strawberry pretzel dessert