Chocolate Pretzel Crack

A tiny bit like Christmas crack - - you know, that crazy Christmas candy that people make with Saltine crackers?  Same idea... but better more interesting shape and more salt when you use pretzels.

I found this recipe online on a cute little blog and was immediately intrigued and wanted to try it myself. I give the credit for the recipe to her, however, I know that this same basic recipe exists in a lot of family homes already.  I just never tried it before the other day.

Hey, I know it's not Christmas, so make this for Valentine's day or something.  
No one, just no one will say NO to this candy treat because it isn't Christmas.

Makes quite a lot...

Ingredients

2 stick butter (1 cup)

1 cup light brown sugar

1 bag pretzels (reg size bag- you'll use 2/3 bag)

12 oz chocolate chips

sea salt for sprinkling, optional

Preheat the oven to 400.

Line a large bar pan with parchment paper, cover with pretzels. (you can see I didn't use parchment, but I suggest you do! I had a time getting it off my pan once it was cold!)

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. When it begins to bubble add the brown sugar. Stirring occasionally let the butter/sugar mixture meld together and brown. This should take about 3-4 minutes. It doesn't look like its going to bind together at first, but it comes together. Do NOT let it boil. When you have a nice, brown caramel pour it over the pretzels, slowly and evenly. 

You can then use a spatula to spread it out, you have to work quickly and gently. It hardens fast so even pouring is the best method. Don't worry too much about gaps, it will spread out more in the oven.

Bake the sheet for 5 minutes.

Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle the whole bag of chocolate chips evenly over the mixture.

Place back in the oven for less than one minute. Chocolate burns so don't leave it in there too long.

Remove from the oven and use a silicone spatula to evenly spread the chocolate over the top. Don't worry too much about getting it on every single piece, as it can be tricky to do as the caramel below is hot and keeps shifting around as you try and "spread" it around.

Sprinkle with sea salt (if desired) and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. Break into chunks and store in a tin.  It's best to give it away right away before eating too much of it yourself.

Christmas Candy to Give as Gifts

I've been told what to bring to Christmas.

Microwave (salted) Caramels

Really?  
Seems like so many other things things that I could bring to the family gathering that would be more exciting than something I whomped up in my microwave in 7 minutes. 
However, this request came from my oldest sister, and the parties at her house, and it's her birthday on the actual 25th of December.  Which means, of course, that I will do her bidding.

At this time of the year, I really like easy. 
Most of these candies are perfect to give as a last minute gift, and make people happy.

Penuche!
This one is a favorite of my husband and my daughter. One of my other sister's has been making this for years.  I'm not sure that mine is as good, but they love it.  If you have never heard of penuche... maybe you should give it a try?



Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle
Takes less than 10 minutes and is so easy!

 

Yummy Nuts
I gave these to people this year but had to keep myself and my husband out of them.  To us, these just say Christmas.  Thanks to my sister in law for starting this tradition and sharing her recipe.



Peanut Butter Fudge
This must be my favorite of all time.  I like it better than chocolate fudge.



White Chocolate Candy Cane Fudge
So pretty and festive on any Christmas goodie plate.



Chocolate Smothered S'mores
Ok, so maybe not so Christmas-y, but these are FUN and delicious.



Salted Caramel Toffee
Harder in texture and shape than caramels, and more chewy.  I love this stuff. You can do it with, or without, the sea salt.

 

Fudge for Dummies
Need a treat and only have short amount of time to make something?  This is it.




Microwave Caramels
Wow, easy, yummy.... I need to get making my batch this year.  I have been instructed to add seasalt to the entire batch.

Easy 7 Minute Microwave Caramels

Soft, chewy, good flavor and all your dental work in place?
Sounds like successful caramels to me!

I've been hearing about microwave caramels for a while.... 
OK, so I didn't hear it, I SAW in on Pinterest!  
I will admit it.  
Still, It was intriguing to me.  I found a bunch of variations online, so I decided to play with the recipe myself to see how it worked out.  I thought this was such an easy thing to do, it's definitely something I am going to make again, and again.  Perfect for the holidays, but this made my whole family happy on a recent family barbecue, so don't wait for Christmas to try it.

You can see that I salted the top of half mine with some flaked sea salt.  Yum... everyone thought I should have done all of it with the salt.  I like choices though... next time I might add chopped macadamia nuts, or something yummy like that. Or dip the finished pieces in melted chocolate...  

II you like very firm and chewy caramel, you might try another minute in the microwave, but be careful, you could be left with a very hard, inedible batch of caramels.
 
I need to say a couple of things about safety.... this recipe could be really dangerous.  Kick the kids, cats, dogs and anyone else distracting out of the kitchen.  And put down your wine... 
I recommend using a 12 cup bowl (I needed the whole thing with it bubbling up...) with a handle, and even then, use potholders.  This stuff will burn and STICK if it gets on you.  Very serious stuff.  Be careful. 

About the 7 minute combined cooking time... every microwave does vary with power, so if you have a powerful one, you are probably right on with the 7 minute thing, otherwise, I might do a couple extra minutes.  With each 2 minute cooking session, you should see some pretty extreme bubbling.  Stir and repeat microwaving until you are done.  Knowing what "done" is happens to be the hardest part of the recipe. 

Makes a 9x13 pan of caramels, about 80 pieces
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup, like Karo (any color)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk

Prep your pan, I used a bit of butter to "anchor" the parchment paper to the bottom.  I also used spray "Pam" on the glass pan too.

In a large microwave safe bowl (I used a 12 cup with a handle) melt the butter for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. 

Place back into the microwave and cook on high for 2-3 minutes. Take the bowl from the microwave and stir well. 

Continue cooking on high for an additional 2 minutes, remove and stir. 
Cook for 2-3 more minutes. 
Remove from the microwave, stir and pour into a 9 x 13 pan to set. 
Let sit for 8-12 hours at room temperature, or in the fridge. 
Once caramel has set up and is firm, wrap in small pieces of wax paper and store in an air tight container.

I left it to cool for about 2 hours and then in the fridge for a couple hours.  I used a big knife (a cleaver) to cut it into squares. 

 

Candy Cane White Chocolate Fudge

Ah, sugar blues can be a good thing.
Plus, giving this makes others happy.
Go ahead, spread a little cheer, someone needs it.

Over the years I have had very bad luck with white "chocolate" chips.  
They just are tricky to melt.  
It's probably because I can be very inpatient, and if you try to rush it, it gets too hot and "seizes" up.  Seizes up is a nice way to say WRECKED.  Once something seizes into a hard mass it's pretty much impossible to fix.  
But,
This fudge is easy beacuse the sweetened condensed milk mixes nicely to protect the chocolate while melting.

I was thrilled to find the pre-crushed candy cane mixture at the local drug store, Bartells.  It was $1.99 and saved me a bunch of heart ache from buying a box and unwrapping them and then pounding them into oblivion myself.  I hate to unwrap them (they never come off willingly) and crushing the canes in a ziploc bag always is messy when holes sprout up from your smacking it with your meat tenderizer,  I mean, how do you  crush candy canes?  Me? I'm going back to Bartells to get some more pre-crushed.

Makes am 8x8 pan
Ingredients

3 cups white chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 bags)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup crushed candy canes

Line a buttered 8x8 pan with parchment or wax paper.   

In a double boiler, or some sort of rig like below.  Gently melt the sweetened condensed milk and the white chocolate chips.  Keep the heat on medium and stir.  Remove from heat as soon as all the chips are mostly melted. ***You can do this in the microwave but I think it's tricky and too hard to watch that it doesn't get too hot.  

Here it is as I am starting...

I mixed in about 2/3 cup of candy canes as soon as the mixture was almost completely melted.  Stirring in the lumpy candy canes helps to make the chocolate smoother.

Add to the prepared pan and smooth the top. That's a bit tricky but the next step helps.

Sprinkle the rest of the candy canes over the top and gently press them into the fudge so they will stick.  Let the mixture cool for a couple hours.  Cut into 1" squares. The mixture freezes well too, though the candy canes can get a little melted.

Here's some other fudge recipes:
Peanut Butter Fudge
Fudge for Dummies

Peanut Butter Fudge

Three ingredients... three very dangerous ingredients.
This peanut butter fudge was so amazingly easy and so delicious.

I made this yesterday, and froze it to keep to bring out closer to Christmas.
Too bad I let my husband know it was in there.... have I mentioned that it even tastes good frozen?  
Too bad I know it's in there too.
Good news IS.... it's easy to make more.

You could add chopped dry roasted peanuts to the mixture if you prefer crunchy peanut butter fudge. I think it better than using crunchy peanut butter... but heck, even that ought to be delicious too. You could also add chocolate chips at the last minute before adding it to the pan to cool.

Makes about 2 lbs

1 cup butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

16 oz powdered sugar (about 3 1/2 cups)

1 tsp vanilla (I forgot to use it...)

Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper ( I used an 6x10 pan).

Melt butter and peanut butter in a medium size sauce pan over medium heat.  Let it melt completely.

Turn off the heat, then add the vanilla and the powdered sugar. 

Mix well

 
Add to the pan, smooth the top.  Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.

Do you like fudge?
Who doesn't, right?
Here's a couple other good (and easy) recipes:
Penuche- Brown Sugar Fudge
Fudge for Dummies

Yummy Nuts

These are crunchy, delicious and addicting! Sweet and salty too.

My sister-in-law has been making these for years, and graciously shared the recipe with me (and now you!).  When I first tried them, I thought it was the most amazing thing I ever tasted!
Now I make these every Christmas time, to eat and share.
They make great hostess gifts or gifts for co-workers and perfect for a holiday gathering.  I once took a huge double batch of these into work and they were devoured in under two hours!  

I tell myself that these are better for you than candy, because the nuts have protein and good oils.... okay, I know that not exactly correct, but it works for me at this time of year. 

These nuts are, of course, great on their own for snacking, but also fantastic in salads (think of it with pears and blue cheese, tossed with some greems!) and also good in cookies for some more crunch.

One other thing, you could add spices to the mixture for a little more kick.  Try cinnamon, cloves, or ground ginger.  

Makes about 5 cups

1/2 cup butter, I use regular salted butter.
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites
5 cups of nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Dash of salt, if desired

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Cut the butter in half (1/4 cup each) and one to each cookie sheet.  Add it to the oven to melt while you are doing the rest of the prep for the yummy nuts.

Separate the eggs, retaining the yolks for another use (like scrambled eggs tomorrow).
With a mixer, beat the egg whites until they are starting to firm up.  Sprinkle in the sugar while the mixer is going. It will be a sticky, shiny mixture that almost looks like marshmallow cream.

Add the nuts

Mix to coat the nuts, don't stir too vigorously, just enough to coat the nuts.

Take your hot, buttery pans out of the oven.  They look something like this:

Add the nuts in one single layer.... that's why I have you use two pans.  You could do one pan, but it's a bit trickier to stir them later on.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring them every 10 minutes! The nuts will brown as the time goes, and stirring helps to brown evenly. 

Try to let them cool a bit before trying them... 

Penuche- Carmelized Brown Sugar Fudge

Penuche is nothing more than brown sugar fudge.  Half the appeal of penuche (pa-new-che) is the slightly sugary, grainy texture.  It has rich caramel, vanilla, butterscotch flavors.  It's not hard to make, but it does take a bit of time to create.  I've been looking for a good recipe for a while, and I found this one on Pinterest (my guilty pleasure).

I live in a family of penuche lovers.

It's really quite interesting.

Most of them eschew sweets of any kind for most of the year, and at the holidays they turn into absolute sugarmongers. Penuche qualifies as pure sugar... just check out the ingredients below.

I'm all about sweets, but this is a treat best eaten in moderation. I'm also thinking that your dentist would like you to brush after consuming... just sayin'.

Yield: 1 8×8-inch pan of penuche

Ingredients for penuche fudge:

    2 1/2 cups brown sugar

    2 1/2 cups white sugar

    2 cups whole milk or half and half

    1 cup butter

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

    1/2 cup toasted, finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Method for penuche fudge:

Line a 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving 2-inches overhang on two opposing sides. Make sure to fold the paper into the corners of the pan.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-low flame, heat brown sugar, white sugar, milk, butter, and salt to 236F (soft ball stage) while stirring constantly. This should take 20-25 minutes.

Pour penuche into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium for 2-4 minutes, or until fudge is thick and smooth. Lower speed to low and add vanilla extract and chopped nuts.

Using a spatula greased with butter, spread penuche fudge into lined pan, smoothing out the top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting. If refrigerated, penuche will keep in a sealed container for up to a week. For maximum freshness, don’t cut until ready to serve.

If you prefer chocolate for your sweet fix... here is the easiest fudge recipe ever!

Fudge for Dummies

Halloween Candy Corn Bark

This was just so cute, I couldn't NOT make it.
Oh yeah, it IS sweet. But, it's candy, you know!

I saw some cute pictures on Pinterest and loved the idea shown. So out I went to get almond bark 'melts' which you can buy at almost any craft store in the baking section.  The 'melts' melt a bit better than white chocolate chips, and somehow, they are not as sweet. 

Use your imagination on toppings... I used the candy corn, some mini chocolate chips, Partridge Farm's mini chocolate fish cookies and salty, toasted sunflower chips.  Try to keep a balance of sweet and salty and crunchy... don't use all sugary treats unless you want a super sweet candy. You could any number of goodies that you like, just try to keep the scale small. You really only need a 1/4 cup to a 1/2 cup of any  of the toppings, so that makes it easy to find any small bags of candies. I had lots of leftovers, but I can use the sunflower seeds for salads, the chocolate chips for many things and those chocolate cookies... I will eat.

As long as you are at the craft store, buy those little treat bags, you're going to package this stuff up so that you stop eating it.  I had my hubby take all these to work today, much, much safer that way.

Makes about 20-25 mini bags of bark, about 2" pieces
Ingredients:
1 lb. white chocolate "melts" or white chocolate chips
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, or chocolate sprinkles
1/2 cup chocolate fish cookies
1/4 cup toasted, salted sunflower seeds, or peanuts

In a glass bowl, microwave on high the white 'melts' for 1 minute.  Stir thoroughly and microwave 30 seconds more.  Stir again.  Microwave again if you need to.  Don't over do it, if it gets too hot, you will make it seize up. Spread out on a piece of parchment paper, wax paper, silpat or even a plain baking sheet.   Working quickly spread it out evenly, I gave my pan a couple of good smacks on the counter to make it super flat. 

Add the candy corn, making sure to evenly distribute.  I had to contain myself, I kind of wanted to fling them all on, but I carefully arranged them...

Sprinkle on the rest of the toppings. Carefully pat down the toppings so that you are sure they are stuck into the white topping. I placed another piece of wax paper on top, and lightly pressed down, but its not necessary to do that.

Cool in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.  It should then hard enough to break into pieces.