Just thinking about chocolate covered pretzels makes your mouth water. For the ones who are not aware, a pretzel is an European delicacy made from dough. It comes in several varieties i.e. some are hard, some soft, some round and some twisted. They also come in various flavors and chocolate being one of them. Sweet chocolate combined with a salted and crunchy pretzel is sure to earn you the status of a gourmet chef. They cannot only be served to guests but also make an ideal gift on special occasions like holidays, housewarmings, fund raisers etc. Learn how to make chocolate covered pretzels by following these easy steps.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 10 minutes
Resources Required:
- Baking sheet
- Waxed paper
- Chocolate chips or Chopped chocolate
- Shortening
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Pretzels
Instructions:
1. Prepare
Take a baking sheet and cover it with waxed paper. Alternatively, you can cover the baking sheet with aluminium foil.
2. Melt
- Put the chocolate and shortening in a large bowl. Ensure that the bowl is microwave safe. Microwave the bowl on medium heat for 1 minute.
- The chocolate tends to thicken if over-heated so be sure to keep an eye on the chocolate. Check if the chocolate has melted completely by stirring it with a spoon. If not, microwave it again for 15 seconds and check.
- Repeat if the chocolate has still not melted. If only a tiny portion of the chocolate has not melted, stirring it with the rest of the melted chocolate would make it melt as well.
- Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave oven.
- Alternatively, you can use a double boiler with water on low-medium heat to melt the chocolate. Stir chocolate every 15-20 seconds. Remove from heat when the chocolate melts completely. Place the pretzel on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Dip
- If the pretzel is in a stick form, hold one end of the pretzel and dip it into the melted chocolate.
- Do not dip the part of pretzel which you are holding into the chocolate. Another good (and cleaner) method to dip the pretzel is to insert a fork in the pretzel and dip it completely into the chocolate. The latter method works a lot better for the pretzel twists.
- Take out the pretzel gently and hold the dipped pretzel over the bowl for a few seconds so that the excess chocolate on the pretzel drips back into the bowl. Another method to do this is to pour some chocolate onto the baking sheet, cool the chocolate a little with a spoon till it is slightly thick and then dip the pretzel into this chocolate.
- Roll it back and forth to ensure that the pretzel is covered in chocolate completely (except the part you are holding). Place the pretzel on the prepared baking sheet. This is the perfect time to add any garnishing like sprinkles, nuts etc. if you wish to do so.
4. Freeze
- Place the chocolate covered pretzels in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or till the chocolate is set.
- Allow the pretzel to set for at least an hour before the pretzel is packed for storage. Chocolate covered pretzels can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- It is wise to put a sheet of waxed paper between every two layers of dipped pretzels. They can be kept for about two weeks if stored in a cool and dark place. Refrigeration of the pretzels, once set is not necessary.
5. The makeover
If you wish to garnish it, then white chocolate, chopped nuts, nonpareils or crushed peppermints can be used. If you use white chocolate, you will need to refrigerate the pretzel again to set the white chocolate on the pretzel. Now, enjoy the yummy pretzels!!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are some possible ways to decorate chocolate pretzels?
The plain looking chocolate pretzels can be given an instant makeover by using some simple garnishing. In a few minutes, it can go from looking plain to tempting. Sprinkles, finely crushed candy, shredded coconut, crushed nuts, crushed cookies etc. can be used for garnishing pretzels. You can either sprinkle these toppings or dip the pretzels into a dish filled with toppings to coat them well. Melted white chocolate is another delicious garnish that can be used. Make sure to do the garnishing while the chocolate is still wet otherwise your decorations won’t stick. You can opt for different colours depending on occassions. You can also use some edible decorations available in most food stores.
Quick Tips:
- You can also layer two different chocolates on pretzels. Dip the pretzel in one chocolate, refrigerate and set and then dip the pretzel in another chocolate and refrigerate and set again. Alternatively, you can dip half of the pretzel in one chocolate and the other half in another, or simply drizzle one chocolate after dipping into another. The possibilities are endless!
- If you are melting more than one chocolate, the same pan can be used if you melt the lighter chocolate first and the darker chocolate next. Saves a lot of cleaning up!
- Put the pretzels in a decorative bag and tie it with a ribbon to make it that perfect gift.
- Add a bit of mint extract to the chocolate of you like a minty flavor.
- Tongs can also be used to hold the pretzels and dip them in chocolate.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Any garnishing should be done right after the pretzel is dipped into the melting chocolate. Once the chocolate sets, no dry garnishing will stick to it.
- Take due care and precautions when working with any form of heat.
- Make sure that the people eating these are not allergic to any of its ingredients.
- Melted chocolate is very hot and can burn your fingers. Be sure not to dip your fingers into melted chocolate when coating the pretzels.
