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.