Nothing says Spring like Pretzel Crust Strawberry Pie.
Strawberries signal the start of the Spring season of food. Heart-shaped, brightly red, sweet, juicy and luscious all come to mind when describing strawberries.
Strawberries have the greatest fragrance. The scent is sweet, fresh and a tart. You can just smell them when you walk by them at the grocery store…..ahhhhh!
Strawberries are considered one of the healthiest fruits. Packed with antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, they are also sodium, cholesterol and fat free. Strawberries have only 54 calories in a cup, so they are a great snack.
Of course in Pretzel Crust Strawberry Pie there are a few more calories, but they are well worth it……..every single calorie is soooooo worth it.
Everyone is familiar with Strawberry Pretzel Salad, a potluck staple. Well this pie is a take on that recipe.
A pretzel and vanilla wafer crust. Sweet and salty. And simple……just pretzels, vanilla wafer cookies, and butter. Mix it up, press into a pie dish, bake and cool.
I like to keep the berries whole. Just cut the stems off and set cut side down in the cooled crust. It make a beautiful presentation, but if you prefer you can slice the berries.
We made this pie every Spring when I worked at the grocery store, it was a staple. A sugar, cornstarch, water mixture is brought to a boil and thickened. Strawberry Jello is added and then the mixture is poured over the berries in the cooled pretzel crust.
Place in the frig overnight to set up. When you are ready to serve, garnish with whipped topping. In an effort to fancy smancy it up, you can also used a berry and a pretzel piece for that picture perfect look.
It’s Springtime….even if Mother Nature is not cooperating, so hurry her along and make a Pretzel Crust Strawberry Pie!!
Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake the perfect springtime desert.
I must confess, I am a new pistachio lover. I guess I had never really tried them…..they seemed like a lot of work and they were green……I wasn’t too sure about a green nut!
Well, surprise, surprise ……they are awesome!! Fresh out of the shell, they complement sweet or savory dishes,I even tried salt and pepper flavored ones, in the words of Rachael Ray…….yummo!!!
The light green color of this bundt from Pinterest caught my eye. I remember with fondness when ‘Watergate” salad, then cake were popular. I was a Senior in High School when the Watergate Scandal broke.
The Jello Company had just introduced Pistachio pudding, and created a recipe using their new product, called Pistachio Pineapple Salad. Everyone was taking this new salad to parties and rumor has it that the name Watergate Salad, stuck was because it was full of marshmallows, bananas, and nuts and covered with fluff…..just like the Nixon administration.
The cake was made even more popular by being named Watergate Cake with Cover up Icing. The scandal, as all scandals do became the stuff of memories, but he cake has endured.
This cake is not a Watergate cake, it more of a crumb bundt cake. A scratch cake with pistachio pudding. I never was very good a homemade cakes in the past but have developed a late life talent…….you can teach an old dog new tricks!
The cake is simple to put together and bake, due in part to the bakers best friend……the bundt pan. I currently have two bundt pans and will continue to buy different shapes. I love the contours that they create.
OK, so the secret to getting that perfect eye-catching visual of a bundt cake are:
Make sure to spray or brush the pan with non stick spray, or butter. Make sure you get in every nook and cranny. If you hold the pan to the light you can see that sheen that the coating gives you will be in business. If you see any dry spot make sure to get them covered.
Sprinkle the coated pan with flour, or cocoa if you are making a chocolate bundt. Again making sure to get the flour in all the nooks and crannies. Just keep tilting and tapping the pan. Don’t try to use your fingers or you will pull off the coating.
Be sure to tap out any excess flour.
Fill the pan and bake. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before attempting to un-mold.
To un-mold, run a butter knife around the edge of the pan and the tube in the middle. Don’t push the knife down the sides or you will ruin the pans effect.
Place a large plate on top of the bundt pan, and invert the pan in one fluid motion, holding the plate tight to the pan. You might need to jiggle or tap the pan to remove the cake. You will feel when it gives.
Then ta-da you have the perfect bundt cake!
Frosting of bundt cake…… needs to be a glaze. First its easy, and second you need no cake decorating skills needed!
For this cake, what else but a pistachio glaze and why not add a bit of that pistachio pudding to give it that green hint. Mix the pudding mix, and please use instant not the cooked pudding mix, with the water before adding to the powdered sugar. It makes for a smoother glaze. The recipe for the glaze can be tweaked to the consistency you desire.
Give the glaze a couple of minute to set up before garnishing with the pistachios or they will run down the side of the cake with the glaze. Your garnish with be a border if you do not wait!
Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake would make a great Easter cake with its light green color and the pretty visual of your bundt pan.
Or may throw a 70’s Watergate Party ……..for a blast form the past.
Either way enjoy this easy, pretty, Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake!
Even though it is far from raspberry season and they were kinda pricey …..I had a hanker’n for something raspberry. Raspberry Cheesecake Galette. Kinda like pie, kinda like cheesecake, and totally delicious!
My idea with these was to make them small……..individual size, but I had a huge fail with that.
They fell apart and were like little pancakes…….it really was a sight.
See I told you!!!
So plan B…….. make it big. Not that its a huge dessert, but it is not the cute little baby galettes I had visions of.
Making it plan B size was easier and in the long run I think a more show stopping dessert, especially if you are trying to impress. And really isn’t that what all food bloggers want to do….impress you, our loyal fans?
As I alway say, I can not make a pie crust, I wish my Mom was still here to show me, her’s were the bomb. So, I do what every self respecting non pie making gal does…….I bought the pre-made!
The raspberries are gently mixed with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, a pinch of salt and a touch of almond extract. Cream cheese, egg, and sugar make up the filling.
A little cheesecake filing on the bottom, raspberries, fold over the pie crust, no certain way, just so the raspberries can’t get out. Then top with the rest of the cheesecake filling. Make sure to let some of the berries show.
My favorite finishing touch to a pie is and egg wash (1 egg beaten with about 1 tablespoon water), then brushed over the crust and for an extra crunch of sugar use turbinado sugar, its just perfect.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and allow to cool. Some of my pictures have powdered sugar and some don’t. It’s pretty either way and I wanted to show versatility.
For a pretty, easy, fanciful dessert try Raspberry Cheesecake Galette.
Unroll the refrigerated pie crust and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the raspberry filling, in a medium bowl, toss together the raspberries, ⅓ cup sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch,salt and almond extract.
For cheesecake filling: with a hand mixer beat together cream cheese, egg yolk, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Spread half of the cheesecake mixture over the top of each pie crust, leaving about a 1 ½ inch border. Top with raspberries mixture, and fold the edges of the crust over the raspberry filling. Scoop the rest of the cheesecake mixture over the top of the berries and spread slightly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place an inverted cookie sheet in the lower third of your oven and preheat oven to 425. Brush the edges of the crust with a beaten egg and sprinkle with turbindao sugar. Place baking sheet with the raspberry cheesecake galette on it directly on top of the inverted cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crust is golden. Allow to cool slightly before slicing. Sprinkle with powdered for a pretty effect.
* Turbinado sugar is a coarse raw sugar perfect for a sugary crunch.
Keywords: pie crust, raspberries, cream cheese, dessert, bake, galette
