Orange Gelatin Pretzel Salad

Kristin wedding was Saturday, October 15th, and it was beautiful in the specific way that a small ceremony with the right people is beautiful: fifty people at a venue in the city, flowers she cared about and David cared about, acoustic guitar for the ceremony, Babcia Rose pierogi at the cocktail hour, my dessert table covering one full wall.

I walked in with Ryan as agreed and I stood where I was supposed to stand and I gave a toast that I had been writing and revising since August. I said: Kristin has been my sister for thirty-one years. I have not always been good at it and she has not always been easy about it and we have both gotten better and I am so glad we had the time to get here. I said: David, you picked her. That was the right pick. You two are going to make something good together and I cannot wait to see it. Then I cried in public, which I was trying to avoid, and Kristin cried, and Patty cried, and Steve made the face he makes when he is not going to cry but is close. Ryan held my elbow from behind.

Babcia Rose, 88, in her good earrings, at the cocktail hour table, commanding the pierogi plate. She was there. She was completely herself. She looked at Kristin in her dress and said: about time. That is the Babcia Rose blessing. That is all you need.

I ate everything at the reception that I could eat and I stood for longer than I should have and I danced for one song because Kristin asked me to and some things you do regardless of your physical condition because your sister is getting married and you are going to dance. I paid for it in back pain Sunday. It was completely worth it.

The dessert table was my contribution to Kristin’s wedding, and I wanted every single thing on it to be something I’d actually eat — nothing just for looks. This Orange Gelatin Pretzel Salad made the cut because it does exactly what a good party dessert should do: it’s bright and a little unexpected, it holds together beautifully for hours, and it disappears fast. I made two pans, and by the time I got back from dancing that one song with Kristin, both were gone. That felt right.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 4 hr 30 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups finely crushed pretzels
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (3 oz) packages orange-flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 (11 oz) cans mandarin orange segments, drained (juice reserved)
Cold water, as needed to combine with reserved juice

Instructions

Make the pretzel crust. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar until combined. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool completely.
Make the cream cheese layer. Beat softened cream cheese and 1 cup sugar together with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the thawed whipped topping until fully incorporated. Spread evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, taking care to seal all the way to the edges so the gelatin layer doesn’t seep through. Refrigerate while you prepare the gelatin.
Dissolve the gelatin. In a large bowl or measuring pitcher, dissolve both packages of orange gelatin in 2 cups boiling water, stirring for at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved.
Add the citrus. Pour the reserved mandarin orange juice into a measuring cup and add enough cold water to bring it to 1 cup total. Stir into the dissolved gelatin. Add the drained mandarin orange segments and stir gently to distribute.
Cool and pour. Allow the gelatin mixture to cool to room temperature (about 20–25 minutes — it should not be set, but should no longer be hot). Carefully pour over the cream cheese layer.
Chill until firm. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Cut into squares and serve cold directly from the baking dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Orange Gelatin Pretzel Salad — The Dessert Table Dish That Held Its Own at Kristin’s Wedding