Layered Pretzel Salad

From the Kitchen Window column

Here's a twist on an old picnic favorite: It's part snack food, part creamy goodness and part old-school jiggly fun. Sure, you've had it before. But I bet mayonnaise wasn't hidden inside. If you are looking for a more formal dessert, leave out the pretzels and fill a dessert glass with the cream filling and top with the strawberry gelatin mixture. Use extra strawberries to garnish along with some reserved cream mixture.

Makes 9 to 12 servings

Base

3 cups crushed pretzels (not too fine; you want people to know they were pretzels)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients and press into the bottom of a greased 9-inch glass dish. A glass dish shows off the different layers, and a square one makes it easier to serve portions. Bake for about 8 minutes. Allow to cool.

Middle

16 ounces heavy whipping cream

6-ounce package vanilla instant pudding

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Beat whipping cream until peaks form, then slowly add pudding while continuing to beat. Slowly add mayonnaise while continuing to beat mixture. Allow to chill in the refrigerator, then spread on top of cooled pretzel mixture in glass dish.

Topping

6-ounce package strawberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

16 ounces sliced fresh strawberries (may substitute frozen whole strawberries)

Add boiling water to gelatin and stir to dissolve. Add the strawberries and stir. Allow mixture to cool at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Arrange berries on top of cream layer, spooning gelatin into spaces among the berries. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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