Patriotic Dessert

Every 4th of July our son Joseph makes this dessert to take along to our friend's annual 4th party. We always have an overflowing strawberry patch this time of year and this is his favorite fruit recipe. He always has an empty pan at the end of the day.



1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
3 cups fresh strawberries, halved

In a bowl, combine the flour, nuts and butter. Press into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover with remaining whipped topping. Arrange blueberries and strawberries to look like a flag. Regrigerate.