FROZEN STRAWBERRY DESSERT

Friend Fran surprised me the other day by sharing a recipe she likes to make called Frozen Strawberry Dessert. She said it was just what hot days of summer called for...a very light and refreshing dessert. When Friend Phyllis, one of our former pastors when we lived in CA, came and stayed overnight with us, I thought it would be the perfect dessert to have available at home. She always wants some Kansas City BBQ when she comes and that is so filling I didn't want to make something heavy and decadent just in case she had room for dessert.

I love this crust/topping so much that I think I will use it instead of making a graham cracker crust when called for in recipes. And it was just as light and refreshing as Fran said it was. I am so glad that she thought to share the recipe with me.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY DESSERT

CRUST/TOPPING

1       cup sifted flour
1/2   cup chopped pecans
1/3   cup brown sugar
1/2   cup (1 stick) margarine, melted (I used butter.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, pecans, and brown sugar together and

then mix in the melted butter. (I softened the butter by putting it in the microwave in a bowl for 30 seconds.)

Drop the mixture in a shallow pan or cookie sheet. You are not spreading the mixture but you don't want big clumps of the mixture so they won't be done.

Bake for 10 minutes. Cool, and 

sprinkle 2/3 of the mix in the bottom of a 9 x 13 - inch pan. ( I crumbled mine to see how much 2/3 of the mix would be and it was 2 cups.) Reserve the other cup for the topping.




While the mixture is baking, prepare the filling:

FILLING:

1       10 - oz pkg of frozen strawberries, slightly thawed (I used unsweetened strawberries because that is what Fran told me she used. Her recipe didn't stipulate that.)
1       cup sugar (I used stevia since I had bought unsweetened strawberries)
2       egg whites
1      tablespoon lemon juice

    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

2      cups Cool Whip (There is about 2-1/2 cups in an 8 - ounce carton of Cool Whip)

Chop the strawberries and add them with the other ingredients (except the Cool Whip) in a large mixing bowl with a stand mixer.

Beat 15 minutes at high speed.(Set your timer because this is a long time.)

Fold in 2 cups of Cool Whip.

Pour the whipped mixture over the crumbs in the pan.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of crumbs.









I used my Pyrex dish that was more like 8 x 12 - inches and I was afraid it wasn't going to hold all of it. So make sure whatever dish you use is 9 x 13 - inches. (My husband says, "But then it won't be as thick." "Yes, Dear, it won't but you don't want it to overflow either." Whipping the mixture for 15 minutes really adds the air and the mixing bowl was almost full by the end of the time. Fran actually makes this with a hand mixture because she doesn't have a stand mixer. I personally can't imagine making it that way.The 15 minutes was long enough my way.

Place in the freezer and freeze.

Remove 5 to 10 minutes before you are ready to serve it. It comes out so easy and everyone will love it!

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