Minty Lime Freeze

 I'll admit that I'm not one for making fancy desserts. My family doesn't really eat desserts. Their idea of a great dessert is a big glass of chocolate milk. But, every once in a while I get the urge to make something a bit more special for after dinner on a Sunday. Bruce really likes lime-flavored things, so I made this last Sunday and it was tasty. It's also unique because you make it upside down, then flip it over to serve. Voile!

Minty Lime Freeze- makes one 9" round pan or 12 servings.
2 (8 ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 (3 ounce) package JELL-O Brand Lime Flavor Gelatin
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint ( I used 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract)
1 1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 

Line 9-inch round pan with plastic wrap, with ends extending over side of pan. Beat Neufchatel cheese and 1/4 cup sugar with mixer until blended. Add dry gelatin mix, zest and juice; mix well. 
Whisk in COOL WHIP and mint; pour into prepared pan. Mix pretzel crumbs, remaining sugar and butter; sprinkle over pudding mixture. Cover dessert with ends of plastic wrap; use to gently press crumb mixture into filling. 
Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Invert dessert onto serving plate; remove pan and plastic wrap. Let dessert stand at room temperature 15 min. to soften slightly before cutting to serve. 

Photo Tutorial!
Here's my pan, all ready to go, lined with last Christmas' red plastic wrap. Hey, it's all I had.

 Lime-y and cream-cheezy goodness.

 Whirl it up, you 28 year old General Electric mixer!

 Folding in the Cool Whip. It turns to a concrete-like constancy at this point.

 Spread the filling in your Christmas plastic wrap lined pan.

 Mmmm- now you can lick the spoon.

 Butter + pretzels= yum. Butter + most anything = yum!

 Dump those butter covered pretzels on top...

 ...then smooth them out.

 Wrap it all up and freeze it!