I haven’t had this recipe in years. I remember that my mother made it every summer when I was growing up. It was like a tangy, sweet ice cream in a salty crust. So what if strawberries aren’t exactly in season? I’m making this regardless. It’s Friday, and I want pie. So there.

This recipe calls for margarine, which is not something that I normally keep in the kitchen. In almost every circumstance, I prefer to cook with butter. However, in this specific application, the flavor and texture of the margarine work well within the pretzel crust. Feel free to substitute butter if you are suspicious of margarine. I won’t blame you, and the pie will be just as good.

This is one of those recipes where if you have a food processor, you’re going to love it. If you don’t have a food processor (like me), I suggest that you place the ingredients to be crushed inside of a Ziploc bag, seal the bag, and crush the contents with a rolling pin. This method is somewhat time-consuming, but works well. Crushing duty may be delegated to children, if you wish: they’ll love it. They’ll also love licking the bowl – although you may want to get there first!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup crushed pretzels

10 tablespoons margarine, melted

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup crushed or pureed strawberries

1/2 cup lime juice

1 (8-ounce) container of whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix the pretzels, margarine, and sugar.

Spread this mixture in a 9-inch pie plate.

Press the mixture onto the bottom and sides of the plate.

Refrigerate the completed crust.

In a large bowl, mix the condensed milk, strawberries, and lime juice until well blended.

Gently stir in the whipped topping.

Pour the strawberry mixture into the refrigerated crust.

Garnish the pie with additional whipped topping, strawberries, or pretzels if desired.

Freeze until firm, about 6 hours.

Let the pie stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, or until it can be easily sliced.

For easy serving: dip the pie plate into warm water, just to below the rim, for 30 seconds.

Store leftover pie in the freezer.

Serves 8.

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