Welcome Summer!
It’s felt like summer here in the Pacific Northwest for a while, but it has now been official for almost a week. I am so excited to try out all sorts of desserts with summery ingredients (peaches, berries, and lemon to name a few). However, with summer comes days of scorching heat. Some days I don’t want to cook simply because I don’t want to turn on my oven. I don’t have air conditioning in my home, so leaving the oven on for longer than five minutes makes my house feel that much warmer. If you are like me and lack air conditioning and/or the motivation to bake in the summer heat, this recipe is for you!
Icebox Pies
Icebox pies originated back in the 1800s and eventually became a staple of Southern cuisine. These were the days before refrigerators when people owned iceboxes. They also lacked air conditioners, so I’m sure you can imagine that people in the South bemoaned cooking that much more. To satisfy their sweet tooth and be a perfect host/hostess, they created icebox pies.
Icebox pies require very minimal oven time to bake the crust (aka 5-10 minutes max). The rest can be whipped up with an electric mixer or a whisk, poured into the crust, and placed in the freezer (or icebox) until ready to serve. The result is a pie that tastes very similar to sorbet or ice cream, but you have the delicious crunch of the crust to go along with it. What a better way to enjoy summer than to cool off with a slice icebox pie on a hot day?
The Pie
After taking a bite, my dad declared that this pie tasted like strawberry ice cream. I couldn’t agree more. The saltiness of the pretzels complements the sweetness of the strawberries beautifully. It tastes great topped with whipped cream and more strawberries too.
So whether it’s scorching hot and you don’t have air conditioning or you just want a sweet summer treat, try whipping up a strawberry icebox pie. The ratio of reward to effort is one of the best things about this pie 😉 .
Blessings on your home and table, ~Natalie
Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
Serves 12
Ingredients:
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 (3oz) package strawberry gelatin
- 2 cups finely diced strawberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine crushed pretzels, butter, and sugar.
- Press mixture on bottom and up sides of an 8″ pie pan. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool.
- In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat together sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, and strawberry gelatin until smooth.
- In another bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form. Fold into strawberry mixture.
- Fold in diced strawberries.
- Pour mixture into pie pan, cover, and freeze at least 6 hours. When ready to eat, take out of the freezer, cut a slice, and enjoy!
For my latest pie recipe, check out my key lime pie!
[…] For more pie recipes, check out my strawberry pretzel icebox pie! […]