Inspired by making cranberry sauce and cranberry fluff for the Holidays. Creating a whole new light and tangy dessert, that has tartness, with tangy cheese and light fluff with crunchy salty pretzel crust. The Cranberry Pie with Pretzel Crust is not a sweet rich pie, but perfect balanced ending to traditional holiday meal, making everyone wanting another piece of pie.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Cranberry Pie with Pretzel Crust - Tangy Sweet Cranberry Pie layer with pretzel crust with sweet and tart fruited cranberry sauce, followed by fluffy tangy cranberry cheese and garnished with whipped topping and mini pretzels filled with white chocolate and dried cranberries. - Pretzel Crust: mini pretzels, brown sugar, butter (cut into chunks), Cranberry Fruit filling: cranberries, orange (peeled, and diced), granny smith apple (peeled, cored and diced), mixed frozen berries, water, sugar, minute tapioca, raspberry jello, Cranberry Fruit Cheese Fluff Filling: light cream cheese (softened), whipped topping, Garnishes for the pie: mini pretzels, white chocolate (tempered), dried cranberries, whipped topping, Pretzel Crust : Pre heat oven to 350°F.
Process the pretzels using food processor with blade attachment until ground fine, but not into powder. Add to ground pretzels brown sugar and chunks of butter, then process until well combined and wet like sand. This should take about 2 minutes.; Spray the pie tin or spring form mold with vegetable spray, I like Pam Baking Spray works very well. ; Spread evenly the pretzel crust mixture over bottom and sides of tin. Press with cup measure to from smooth crust. ; Place crust into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven place on cooling rack, and cool pie crust. Set aside ; Cranberry Fruit Filling: Bring to boil in heavy duty sauce pan, cranberries, diced oranges, diced apples, mixed berries, sugar, tapioca and water. Cook this mixture stirring often with rubber spatula until cranberries burst and filling thickens. This should take about 15 minutes over medium heat. Remove from range top, set aside for next steps.; Pour half of the cranberry fruit filling into pretzel crust pie, spread evenly and place the pie into refrigerator to firm up.; Cranberry Fruit Cheese Fluff Filling: Heat the cream cheese in micro wave on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir cream cheese and repeat process. The mixture should be smooth creamy consistency.; Place the remainder of the cranberry mixture into mixing bowl, add the soften cream cheese, mix with wire whisk until combined well, this should have a creamy but still texture mixture.; Add to creamy cranberry mixture whipped topping, folding with rubber spatula until combined well. Should be light smooth and have good texture from cranberries and fruits. ; Remove cranberry pie from refrigerator and add the cranberry fruit cheese fluff mixture over top of cranberry fruit filling. Smooth mixture with spatula evenly distributing filling. Cover pie with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator over night to firm up.; Pie Garnishes: Place mini pretzels with salted side up on sheet tray lined with parchment paper.; Melt white chocolate in micro wave at 50% power for 45 seconds. Stir chocolate and micro wave again at 50% power for 15 seconds, stir chocolate. If chocolate is not totally melted do one more time 50% power for 15 seconds. Stir until chocolate is melted. Check temperature if over 105°F. Sir until cool to 82°F. Place back in micro wave 50% power for 10 seconds.
Pour chocolate into zip lock bag or chocolate parchment cone bag. Cut small tip off corner of bag and fill each cavity of pretzels. Note do not over fill.; Place dried cranberry half on each filled cavity of pretzel. Place pretzel garnishes in cool area to set up. This should take about 1 hour, depending on how cool area is. Could place in refrigerator for 15 minutes, the problem is condensation forming when humidity is high.; Fill pastry bag fitted with star tip with whipped topping. Garnish pie with rosettes of whipped topping for each slice of pie. Place pretzel garnish on side of rosette in attractive manner.; Keep pie chilled in refrigerator for 1 hour to make sure everything is set up well. Cut into desired slices of pie. 10" pie will serve 8 to 10 slices of pie.; - This pie would work very well, by a using spring form mold instead of a pie tin, making it easier to cut and serve.[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]