Raspberry Frozen Dessert

My sister, Kathleen, made this wonderful dessert and I just had to have the recipe.  It is delicious and refreshing, especially on a hot summer day.  This is perfect for a picnic, dinner party, birthday party, a wedding shower or baby shower. Or just any time you want a cool refreshing dessert.  If you prefer, you can use strawberries or blueberries instead of raspberries.  

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 1/2 cup graham crackers, finely crushed

2/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

Raspberry Frozen Filling:

3 cup raspberries, whole

1 cup heavy cream

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 c powdered sugar

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup raspberries, coarsely chopped (don't chop too small)

Topping:

8 oz Cool Whip

Additional crushed graham crackers

A handful of fresh whole raspberries, if you wish

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

For the crust, place 2 1/2 cups of graham crackers in a food processor or a large Ziploc bag to crush. You want them as finely crushed as possible so that the crust binds really well and give you a nice crusty texture.   In a medium bowl, add the crushed graham crackers, butter and sugar, mix well until combined.

Place the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and press down evenly with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Carefully remove from oven and let cool completely.

For the frozen raspberry filling, add the 3 cups of raspberries to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together.  Add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and the raspberries that you blended in the food processor.  Mix until combined.

Next, add the whipped cream that you previously set aside.  Stir until well combined.  Then fold in the 1 cup of chopped raspberries.

Spread this raspberry mixture over the cooled graham cracker crust and smooth evenly.

Spread the 8 ounces of Cool Whip on top of the raspberry cream layer.  Sprinkle with additional crushed graham crackers and if desired, some fresh raspberries. Or you may just add a few raspberries to the top of each piece of dessert when you serve it.

Cover with Saran Wrap and place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours or until the filling has set.

This will keep well in the freezer for about a month. To serve, just take out the dish, cut out a slice, and you are good to go!  

Source:  deliciouslyseasoned.com

Cindy