Sunday, May 13, 2012

Whipped Strawberry Dessert


A trip out to my local strawberry farm always involves a group of friends, and a pre-order to pick up berries already to go in gallon buckets! Yes, it costs a bit more, but is so worth it as far as time is concerned.


After I get home with my strawberries I refrigerate them until I'm ready to begin putting them up in one way or the other. I usually stem and flash freeze a tray of them, and put the frozen solid berries into zip top bags to freeze and use another time. Then I tackle a few recipes to make with them fresh, such as this delicious, yummy strawberry dessert!

Ingedients
1 - 8 oz cream cheese
1/4-1/3 cup sugar
1 - 8 oz extra creamy cool whip or 2 cups fresh whipped cream
1 graham cracker crumb crust, buttery nut crust, or  pie crust (directions below)
2 cups fresh sliced strawberries (room temperature)
Additional sliced strawberries to serve over top

Crust -
Graham Cracker Crumb Crust
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, 5 tbls butter melted
Mix together and press into 9 x 9-inch pan. Chill in freezer 5-10 minutes before filling

Buttery Nut Crust
1 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, 1/2 cup butter melted.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a baking pan and cook 15 minutes, stirring 2-3 times during baking. Remove and cool 10 minutes, reserving 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top. Press remainder into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups flour, pinch salt, 1/2 cup shortening, 4 tbls. cold water
Mix flour and salt, cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add cold water and stir with a fork just until dough comes together. Flour a work surface and roll dough out to fit into 9 x 9-inch pan (don't worry about being perfect or too picky). Prick bottom of crust in several places with a fork and bake at 475 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before adding filling.

Method
Beat softened cream cheese until creamy; add sugar and beat until well blended.  On low speed, mix in 2 cups sliced strawberries.  Fold in 1- 8 oz container extra creamy cool whip or 2 cups whipped cream.  Spoon mixture into pan on top of crust and smooth out.

Freeze until set; about 1 hour. Store in refrigerator. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries when serving.


Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.