For many years our annual family Christmas cookie baking day was interjected with great drama regarding these holiday pretzels. First, the original recipe used small round pretzels, which were only available at one store on the other side of town. In order to add the white chocolate, it needed to be melted in a double boiler – or did it work better in the microwave last year? Next, painstakingly spooning the white chocolate into each pretzel round was frustrating and the often looked sloppy. As if that weren’t enough, that darn white chocolate did not always set up! Below, is our tried and true, modified recipe (or technique). I don’t often indicate brand names, but in this case I am because this is what has worked. The ingredients do not come out evenly and we just make them until we run out of the melting wafers. (I think we all know what to do with leftover pretzels and M&Ms!) The final product is pretty on any holiday cookie plate and the combination of sweet and salty is downright addictive. I like to put them in cellophane bags with some ribbon as a festive gift for teachers, hosts or anytime during the season that calls for a special treat.
Ingredients for Festive Holiday Pretzels
- One bag of Snyder’s of Hanover “snaps” pretzels (16 oz.)
- One bag of red and green M&Ms (10.7 oz)
- Two packages (10 oz.) Ghirardelli white melting wafers
Instructions
STEP 1
Preheat oven to 300°. Spread the pretzels flat on a cookie sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper. Then place one white melting wafer centered on each pretzel.
STEP 2
Place cookie sheet with pretzels and wafers in the oven until the wafers partially melt, about 1 – 2 minutes.
STEP 3
Remove pretzels from the oven and place one green or red M&M centered on each wafer and press gently to ensure the M&M sticks to the melted wafer. Let cool for 20 minutes to a half hour, or until the white chocolate is no longer soft. Store in plastic containers or zipper bags.
This is really the way to do this special treat loved by all, especially kiddos..