- Diane L. Jordan, Englewood, Fla.
STRAWBERRY DELIGHT

1 cup all-purpose flour
¹/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¹/2 cup chopped pecans
¹/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed, or 1¹/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 egg whites
¹/2 pint whipping cream, whipped
Combine the flour, brown sugar, pecans and butter. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes in a 9-inch square pan, stirring often. Let cool. Combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and egg whites; beat on high speed of an electric mixer for about 20 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture. Remove one-third of the crumb mixture from pan; pat remaining crumbs into a smooth layer. Pour the strawberry mixture over crumbs in pan and sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the top. Freeze.

Makes 8 servings.

Dear Diane: I cut the fat and calories way down for you. I cannot recommend using the egg whites, since they are raw. I tried using powdered egg whites - and if you can find them, that is an option - but you must whip them separately and fold them in with the whipped topping. (Also, in some areas of the country, pasteurized raw egg whites are available in cartons in the dairy case of supermarkets.)

I found that omitting the butter from the crumble mixture that goes on the bottom and top did not yield a good result, but substituting reduced-fat vanilla wafers made a very nice crunch. This is a very light dessert that can be made all year round, since the strawberries are completely pureed and the frozen ones work just as well as the fresh.

VERY LIGHT STRAWBERRY DELIGHT

¹/4 cup chopped pecans
³/4 cup crushed reduced-fat vanilla-wafer crumbs (about 16 wafers)
1 pint fresh strawberries or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¹/4 cup sugar
1 tub (12 ounces) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the chopped pecans on a baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and fragrant, about 7 minutes.

2. Combine the toasted pecans and vanilla wafers and mix well. Set aside.

3. Thaw the frozen berries, or slice fresh berries and place in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and sugar, and blend with a hand mixer until strawberries are pureed (or use a blender). Set aside.

4. Fold together the strawberry puree and the whipped topping. Try not to stir too much, as the air will be released from the topping. Lightly fold the mixtures together with a large spoon or a rubber spatula until most of the streaks are blended in to make a nice pink mixture.

5. Place ²/3 cup of the vanilla-wafer crumbs and nuts into the bottom of a 9-inch square pan and spread evenly. Spoon the strawberry mixture over it and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining ¹/3 cup of crumbs, cover tightly and place in freezer until firm.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 465 calories; 26 gm fat; 72 mg cholesterol; 146 mg sodium; 53 gm carbohydrates; 4 gm protein; 2 gm fiber. Revised Recipe: 176 calories; 3 gm fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 64 mg sodium; 33 gm carbohydrates; 1 gm protein; 1 gm fiber.