Love4Randomness: It's been a few days but i'm back with some tasty treat ideas! Part One

Sup 'ma peeps!

It's a few days since Thanksgiving but as promised here are some pics and recipes for some tasty treats that would make great, inexpensive gifts for the holidays! This will be part one because there are three different treats. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Two Ways

You will need:

Two 11.5 oz bags of chocolate chips, I used Ghirardelli milk and white chocolate chips

One 12 oz bag of pretzels

Two teaspoons of vegetable oil

One ziploc baggie to drizzle white chocolate

A few wooden skewers

Several microwaveable bowls

Spoons to stir chocolate

parchment paper

Directions:

1. Place parchment paper over where pretzels are to dry (Over a cookie sheet, plate, or even over the table itself)

2. Pour half a bag of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Add half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. That means every 30 seconds stop the microwave and stir the chocolate, then let it go for 30 seconds more, then stop and stir, and so on until chocolate melts. My chocolate usually never takes more than 1:30 to melt but your microwave oven may differ. Please be very careful to not burn the chocolate as it will get hard and bitter. I only melt half a bag at a time because I can only work so fast before the chocolate begins to harden, but if you have help just follow the same instrucitons and do one whole bag at a time adding one teaspoon of vegetable oil per bag of chocolate chips.

3. When the chocolate is melted, start dipping pretzels in until fully coated. I use the wooden skewers to help me turn the pretzels and coat them well, but you can use anything you want even a fork. Drip off any excess chocolate and place pretzels on parchment paper to dry.

4. While pretzels are still wet, add Christmas sprinkles, colored sugar, nuts, or anything else your heart desires. (Except bugs, or sticks, or rocks but why would your heart desire that? What's wrong with you!?)

5. Allow pretzels to dry and set for at least 4 hours. Now, I know that sounds like a long time but you can cheat (Shhhhhhhhhh!) and speed up the process by placing the pretzels in the fridge for 30 minutes and voila! What I did was half the pretzels I added sprinkles to and the other half I added melted white chocolate drizzle on top. Very cute and classy. You could also do a reverse "zebra" pretzels dipping the pretzel in white chocolate and drizling milk chocolate on top.

6. You can package pretzels in cute little treat bags, gift boxes, plastic containers, or even in cellophane tied with a colorful ribbon.

This recipe makes approximately 6 good sized gifts depending on how many pretzels you want to give per person.

Here are some more pics!