Strawberry Dessert Squares

Submitted by Peggy Koetters

Strawberry Dessert Squares

Ingredients
  

  • Cooking spray
  • 17.5 oz. pouch sugar cookie mix
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 egg
  • 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
  • 16 oz. container whipped topping
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries sliced, divided
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 dash red food coloring

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside bottom of a jelly roll pan or 13x9 dish with cooking spray. Mix sugar cookie mix, butter and egg in a large bowl until a soft dough forms; press evenly into a prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until crust is light golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Beat cream cheese using an electric mixer on medium speed in a bowl until smooth. Add 8 oz. whipped topping and stir until smooth; spread over crust. Refrigerate. Mix sugar and cornstarch together in saucepan; add 1 cup strawberries, water and vanilla. Cook and stir mixture, mashing strawberries with spoon while cooking, over medium heat until strawberries are softened and mixture is thickened, 10-15 minutes. Stir food coloring into strawberry mixture and remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes. Gently stir remaining 3 cups strawberries into strawberry mixture; spoon over cream cheese filling. Top with whipped topping as desired. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Serve within 4 hours.