Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Christmas Crack...or Salted Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Bark

Don't stop baking the goodies now because I promise you this is worth it!
I called it Christmas Crack...because it's so good that you can't just eat a little you want it again and again.
It becomes an addiction!!

Technically I believe it is Salted Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Bark or some arrangement of those words
In any case people....it's CRACK.  The kind you will love and your waist and your dentist will hate.

Just go get this stuff:
2 sticks of butter (please don't start judging me this early)
1 cup Brown sugar
Mini Pretzels
Chocolate Chips
Sea Salt--course ground



Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil


Then add a single layer of pretzels
and preheat the oven to 350 degrees






Now get over to the stove and melt those two sticks of butter in a heavy pan


Now use your imagination because there are no photos.... Hey, I can't do everything!
Add 1 cup of the brown sugar and stir together.
Keep stirring until it gets darker...cook until the point you think you teetotally messed it up and then it will start to get all caramelly and ooey gooey sticky goodness!!  
This takes about 5-10 minutes. 
Secret:  I teetotally ruined the first batch and had to start over, eh it happens.

Now yell at your husband to take the picture for you because the saucepan is too heavy for you to do this alone! 
Just pour that ooey gooey lusciousness all over those pretzels

Keep pouring, don't be stingy....use it all and make sure all those pretzels get some lovin'
Now pop that in the oven and let it cook for like 5 whole minutes


While that is cooking just use a make shift double boiler and melt those chocolate chips
Unless you're all fancy schmancy and have a double boiler...in which case color me SUPER jealous!




Take those caramel pretzels out of the oven and pour that chocolate right over the top
Oh yeah come to mama!!!
Spread the chocolate out evenly...don't play favorites here people!



Now take that sea salt and sprinkle all over the top of that warm chocolate

Then pop in the refrigerator or in my case...take it outside and sit it on the back porch.
Hey...it was cold outside and I was out of room in the fridge!!
Besides, what kind of holiday would it be if you didn't use your back porch/garage as a second cold area to store holiday goodies???   That's what my mama taught me.

Now when it's all cooled off, just break into pieces
start eating and then figure out how to get someone to go to the grocery to buy more butter so you can make another batch.   Oh YEAH!!!!



Now be nice and share the love with your friends and neighbors.
Remember fattening up those around you only makes you look skinnier!!

What was your favorite holiday treat you made this year??





Peace, Love and Salted Chocolate Yummies!!