Strawberry Pretzel Pie

For the Pretzel Crust
1 1/4 C crushed pretzels (2 1/2 C of uncrushed pretzels)
1/4 C brown sugar
6 T unsalted butter melted

For the Pie
3 oz pkg strawberry gelatin
1 C boiling water
1/2 C cold water
8 oz container whipped topping, thawed
2 C strawberries diced
2 C strawberries sliced for garnish

For the Pretzel Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a blender or food processor, crush pretzels until finely crushed. Transfer pretzels into a medium bowl and stir in brown sugar and melted butter. Lightly butter or grease a 9-inch pie pan. Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of the pan. (Tip: A flat-bottomed glass helps pack the crust mixture down evenly.) Bake crust at 350 degrees for ten minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

For the Pie: Using a medium mixing bowl, stir gelatin and boiling water together until fully dissolved. Let sit for two minutes. Add cold water stir until well combined. Let sit for ten minutes to thicken. (Note: This is an important step…otherwise the mixture won’t set up once the whipped topping is added!) Stir half of whipped topping and all the diced strawberries into gelatin. Spread this mixture evenly into the pie crust. Refrigerate for four hours, or until firm. Spread remaining (i.e. plain) whipped topping on top of the strawberry layer. Garnish with additional sliced strawberries before serving.