Deconstructed Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Yesterday I brought you everyone's favorite strawberry pretzel salad.  Today I am bringing you a nice twist to that salad.  I always felt like the regular pretzel salad needed to be made for a party or to take somewhere because it made so much and it wasn't good after a couple of days.  I also think the salad is what people miss most about Victoria's being gone. Now this salad doesn't make as much but it all has to be eaten on the day it is made.  It will not be good the next day!!  Learned from experience.

It makes a really nice bowlful of salad.  You can garnish it any way you like.

This salad is made in stages.  This is the first stage.

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup crushed pretzels.  You can add a little more of both if you like for a snack.

Melt 3/4 cup butter.

Stir the brown sugar into the butter.  Makes a nice caramel.

Add the pecans

And pretzels

Stir, stir, stir until the are all coated really well.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment and pour the mixture out.   Make sure to spread it in a thin layer. Place in a preheated 400 oven.  Bake for 7 minutes.  I was going to stir it about half way through but no need.

It bubbled around and reminded me of making peanut brittle.  I have never made peanut brittle but have seen it made.  Take the pan out of the oven and let cook for a little bit.

Then I laid out some foil and broke it into pieces and turned it over so it could dry out some.  You can sample.  I did this the day before I was going to make the salad so it could be cooled off.  I was worried that it might get soft overnight but they didn't.

Now to make the rest of the salad.

8 oz softened cream cheese.

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix that really well.

Fold in 8 oz whipped topping.  I used light cream cheese and whipped cream.

It is getting folded in nicely.

Now fold in 2 cups diced strawberries.

Mixed nicely.

Now add the pecan/pretzel mixture.

Fold that in well.

Then garnish it however you like.  I sliced a strawberry and then sprinkled some of the pretzels around. Cover and set in the fridge for a few minutes.  I wouldn't leave it too long though.  It is really good and easier than the other salad.  Make sure you sacrifice and eat all of it the day it is made though.

Deconstructed Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

1 cup pretzels crushed
1/2 cup pecans chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter melted
Stir together.  Bake in a preheated 400 oven for 7 minutes.  Let cool.

2 cups strawberries diced
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz whipped topping

Mix all together.