Welcome Back, Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie

Preparation

For the crust: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Using a food processor, crush pretzels into a fine meal. There should be no large pieces. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and malt powder and stir to combine. Then, slowly drizzle in melted butter and continue to mix until fully incorporated, and the pretzel meal feels like wet sand. Scoop the mixture into a pie plate or, for a slab pie, an 8×8-inch square or 9×13-inch rectangular pan.

 

Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crust mixture firmly into the pie plate or pan. Start from the center and work your way to the edge. By the end, your crust should be ¼ inch thick.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden. Cool the pan on wire rack, then freeze until ready to use.

For the cream cheese filling:

Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Using the stand mixer or a handheld mixer, whisk until stiff peaks form. If using a stand mixer, remove the whipped cream and reserve in a mixing bowl.

Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Cream until light and fluffy.

Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Remove pie crust from freezer and gently spoon in cream cheese filling. Smooth the surface with a spatula, and then return the dish to the freezer.

For the strawberry topping:

Using a blender or food processor, puree one 16-oz. container of strawberries. Reserve ½ cup of puree in a small bowl, and combine the rest with sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring sugar and strawberry puree almost to a boil, whisking frequently.

Meanwhile, add gelatin to the ½ cup of reserved strawberry puree and mix. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then add to the almost-boiling strawberry-and-sugar mixture and whisk to dissolve gelatin. Once gelatin is dissolved, remove the topping from heat and allow it to cool slightly. (For a smoother result, you can strain it through a fine-mesh sieve while it’s still hot.)

Thinly slice remaining strawberries lengthwise. Remove pie from freezer and lay sliced strawberries over cream cheese mixture in a spiral pattern. Alternately, you can chop strawberries and scatter them over the surface. Return pie to freezer for at least two minutes.

Pour cooled strawberry gelatin over the strawberry slices, and use a spatula to smooth it. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator, and allow at least 4 hours for the gelatin to fully set. Garnish with whipped cream.