Creamy Tropical Dessert

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 15
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup margarine or 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained and 1 cup juice reserved
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup strawberry, quartered

Recipe

• 1 prepare pastry: heat oven to 400°f.
• 2 beat flour, butter, and powdered sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly.
• 3 beat on high speed about 2 minutes until creamy.
• 4 stir in almonds.
• 5 spread into ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
• 6 bake 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
• 7 cool.
• 8 mix cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar and the vanilla in large bowl.
• 9 reserve 1/2 cup pineapple.
• 10 stir remaining pineapple into cream cheese mixture.
• 11 beat whipping cream in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff.
• 12 fold whipped cream and marshmallows into cream cheese mixture.
• 13 spread over crust.
• 14 cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 48 hours.
• 15 gradually stir reserved 1 cup pineapple juice into cornstarch in 2 qt saucepan.
• 16 cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.
• 17 boil and stir 1 minute, cool.
• 18 fold in reserved pineapple and the strawberries.
• 19 cut dessert into about 2 1/2-inch squares.
• 20 serve with fruit mixture.