PRETZEL DELIGHTS OF THE SEASON

For those of us who adore a combination of salty AND sweet, Christmas is the perfect time of year for wonderful recipes which call for pretzels and chocolate.  My favorite involve white chocolate, but that’s completely optional.  Here are some of my very favorites!

PRETZEL NESTS

(These are GOGEOUS when added to a cookie tray for gift-giving!)

One bag of regular size pretzels

One or two bags of Hershey Kisses  and/or Hugs

Plain Holiday M&M's

Turn your oven on to 200 degrees.  Line a cookie tray with wax paper and then make several rows of pretzels.  Next, add a Hershey Kiss to to the top of each pretzel.  Put in the oven for 2-6 minutes, allowing the chocolate to become soft enough that you can press the kiss all the way down on the pretzel.  Add an M&M to the top of each one.  Let cool and store in the refrigerator.

ELLEN’S PRETZEL CANDY

(A long-running Christmas tradition was for my brother Gary’s wife, Ellen, to make a huge tin of pretzel candy for Christmas morning.  The tin made its way around the room while we’re all opening our gifts. The beautiful Christmas tin each year was a part of the tradition.  I believe the candy is really called Christmas Haystacks, but to us it was just known as “Ellen’s Candy”.)

1 lb. white chocolate

3 c. broken stick pretzels

1/2 lb. Spanish peanuts, with skins

Melt chocolate over low heat in double boiler.  Add pretzels sticks (broken in half) and peanuts.  Mix until peanuts and pretzels are well-coated.  Spread on ungreased cookie sheet.  Cool in refrigerator.  Break into pieces.  Store in tins.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZEL RODS

36 pretzel rods (1 package)

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or bars

1- 1/2 cups assorted toppings: sprinkles, crushed cookies, nuts, toffee bits, or mini M&M's

Heat chopped semisweet chocolate bars (or chips) in the microwave stopping to stir after every 30-second increment until melted. Spoon the chocolate over 3/4 of each pretzel rod. Tap or scrape off excess chocolate, then roll pretzel in sprinkles, crushed cookies, toffee bits, chopped nuts or mini M&M's. Dry on a cooling rack or wax paper until set.

To make the ‘stripes’ over your pretzels: Melt 1 cup white chocolate chips in the microwave. Stir in several drops of food coloring. Spoon colored chocolate into the bottom corner of a heavy plastic freezer bag. Cut a small part of the tip off the corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the pretzels. Chill in fridge or freezer for 10-20 minutes or until set.