The Holidays Are Here

It's that time of year again. I have just made 4 Pretzel Salads. Yes, FOUR...one for my office potluck, one for Rich's office potluck, one for our Thanksgiving Blow Out and the other for Rich and I to snack on! This will not be the last of the Pretzel Salad, Christmas is right around the corner.

Raspberries, Butter, Whipped Cream Cheese with Sugar and Pretzels.

Pretzel Salad has been a Playford holiday tradition since 1981. The Playford's lived at Dyess Air Force Base (outside of Abilene, Texas) when Lin, my mother-in-law, got the recipe from a neighbor Lori Carson. It isn’t Thanksgiving or Christmas without this Pretzel Salad.

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
1⅔ cup sugar
2⅔ cup small pieces of broken pretzels
1 cup melted butter
1 8 oz. cool whip
1 6 oz. package raspberry jello (large)
2 cups water
1 large package frozen raspberries without sugar

View full recipeFIRST: Make the Jello by using directions on the package and start to gel Jello. This is the longest part of the recipe, so make sure you do this FIRST!

SECOND: Grease a 9 x 13 casserole by using the butter wrappers, efficiency is key. Mix pretzels and butter in casserole and bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Cool until luke warm.

THIRD: While Pretzels are cooking, cream the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is smooth and you can no longer tell there is sugar in it. (You’ll have to taste a lot to tell, oh the challenges of the cook!)

FOURTH: Spread cream cheese layer on top of pretzels. It’s best if you dollop the cream cheese then spread. (That will keep the pretzels from mixing with the cream cheese.) Refrigerate if you have time (and you will, the Jello hasn’t gelled yet). Add the layer of cool whip. Cool casserole. (I usually keep sticking it in the refrigerator.)

FIFTH: Once the Jello is a bit soupy and can hold the raspberries, stir raspberries into Jello. Pour over top of cool whip. Chill. The 9 x 13 Casserole will look like it will not hold the Jello, but it will, it will just be really full! Don’t worry. The more, the better.