CHOCOLATE PIE with PRETZEL CRUST: National Pretzel Day!

Today is National Pretzel Day. You can celebrate in so many ways. Dip pretzels or pretzel sticks in chocolate, or you can make this Chocolate Pie with Pretzel Crust! No time to make the chocolate filling from scratch? Use a Pudding Box Mix.

CHOCOLATE PIE WITH PRETZEL CRUST

Pretzel Crust

Ingredients
12+ ounces pretzels, crushed
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Whirl pretzels in blender, so they're very fine. Add sugar and butter. Mix. Press half of mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool.

Pour in chocolate filling. Top with remaining pretzel mixture. Chill.

Chocolate Pie Filling

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1⁄2 cups milk
3 ounces dark chocolate (70-75% cacoa), chopped
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Combine sugar, cornstarch, milk, and chocolate in top of double boiler. Cook over boiling water until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir a bit of hot chocolate mixture into egg yolks in order to temper eggs and keep them from curdling. Add tempered yolks to chocolate mixture, stirring constantly and thoroughly. Cool mixture. Add vanilla extract to chocolate and mix thoroughly. Pour chocolate filling into cooled pretzel crust. Top with remaining pretzel mixture. Chill before serving.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS: National Pretzel Day

Today is National Pretzel Day. How better to celebrate than with Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

I'm from Philadelphia, the home of the soft pretzel. When I was growing up, there were pretzel carts on almost every corner downtown. Usually we smeared our pretzels with mustard. The soft pretzels were very doughy on the inside but crunchy on the outside and dipped in rock (kosher?) salt. Since I always enjoyed baking bread, I used to make my own pretzels.

I did a little research on pretzels, and it wasn't surprising to find that the first commercial pretzel bakery in the U.S. was established in 1861 in Lancaster County, PA. In 1935, the Reading Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the automatic pretzel twisting machine. For a history of the pretzel, go here and here.
Want to make your own soft pretzels? Here's a great recipe from King Arthur Flour. 

Chocolate covered pretzels, though,  are made with hard pretzels. I love the salt/sweet thing. Here's an easy recipe. As always, use the very best chocolate for the very best flavor.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS

Ingredients
1 1/2 good dark chocolate bars broken into pieces (6-8 oz?)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Pretzels (until your chocolate runs out)

Directions
Melt chocolate with butter in metal bowl over saucepan over simmering water. Remove from heat.
One at a time immerse pretzels into chocolate. Lift out with fork, tapping fork against side of bowl to let excess chocolate drip back into bowl.
Put pretzels on wire rack (over wax paper). Dry until chocolate hardens.

How easy is that?

CHOCOLATE PIE WITH PRETZEL CRUST: National Pretzel Day

Today is National Pretzel Day. You can celebrate in so many ways. Dip pretzels or pretzel sticks in chocolate, or you can make this Chocolate Pie with Pretzel Crust! No time to make the chocolate filling from scratch? Use a Pudding Box Mix.

CHOCOLATE PIE WITH PRETZEL CRUST

Pretzel Crust

Ingredients
12+ ounces pretzels, crushed
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Whirl pretzels in blender, so they're very fine. Add sugar and butter. Mix. Press half of mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool.

Pour in chocolate filling. Top with remaining pretzel mixture. Chill.

Chocolate Pie Filling

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1⁄2 cups milk
3 ounces dark chocolate (70-75% cacoa), chopped
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Combine sugar, cornstarch, milk, and chocolate in top of double boiler. Cook over boiling water until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir a bit of hot chocolate mixture into egg yolks in order to temper eggs and keep them from curdling. Add tempered yolks to chocolate mixture, stirring constantly and thoroughly. Cool mixture. Add vanilla extract to chocolate and mix thoroughly. Pour chocolate filling into cooled pretzel crust. Top with remaining pretzel mixture. Chill before serving.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS: National Pretzel Day!

Today is National Pretzel Day. How better to celebrate than with Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

I'm from Philadelphia, the home of the soft pretzel. When I was growing up, there were pretzel carts on almost every corner downtown. Usually we smeared our pretzels with mustard. The soft pretzels were very doughy on the inside but crunchy on the outside and dipped in rock (kosher?) salt. Since I always enjoyed baking bread, I used to make my own pretzels.

I did a little research on pretzels, and it wasn't surprising to find that the first commercial pretzel bakery in the U.S. was established in 1861 in Lancaster County, PA. In 1935, the Reading Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the automatic pretzel twisting machine. For a history of the pretzel, go here and here.

So when did chocolate covered pretzels come into the picture? It doesn't matter. These are delicious. Chocolate covered pretzels are usually made with hard pretzels. I love the salt/sweet thing.

Here's an easy recipe. As always use the very best chocolate for the very best flavor.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS

Ingredients
1 1/2 good dark chocolate bars broken into pieces (6-8 oz?)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Pretzels (until your chocolate runs out)

Directions
Melt chocolate with butter in metal bowl over saucepan over simmering water. Remove from heat.
One at a time immerse pretzels into chocolate. Lift out with fork, tapping fork against side of bowl to let excess chocolate drip back into bowl.
Put pretzels on wire rack (over wax paper). Dry until chocolate hardens.

How easy is that?

Chocolate Covered Pretzels: National Pretzel Day

National Pretzel Day is April 26. How better to celebrate than with Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

I'm from Philadelphia, the home of the soft pretzel. When I was growing up, there were pretzel carts on almost every corner downtown. Usually we smeared our pretzels with mustard. The soft pretzels were very doughy on the inside but crunchy on the outside and dipped in rock (kosher?) salt. Since I always enjoyed baking bread, I used to make my own pretzels.

I did a little research on pretzels, and it wasn't surprising to find that the first commercial pretzel bakery in the U.S. was established in 1861 in Lancaster County, PA. In 1935, the Reading Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the automatic pretzel twisting machine. For a history of the pretzel, go here and here.

So when did chocolate covered pretzels come into the picture? It doesn't matter. These are delicious. Chocolate covered pretzels are usually made with hard pretzels. I love the salt/sweet thing.

Here's an easy recipe. As always use the very best chocolate for the very best flavor.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS

Ingredients
1 1/2 good dark chocolate bars broken into pieces (6-8 oz?)
1 Tbsp butter
Pretzels (until your chocolate runs out)

Directions
Melt chocolate with butter in bowl over simmering water. Remove from heat, but keep over water.
One at a time drop pretzels into chocolate. Lift out with fork, tapping fork against side of bowl to let excess chocolate drip back into bowl.
Put pretzels on wire rack (over wax paper). Dry until chocolate hardens.

How easy is that?

Chocolate Pie with Pretzel Crust

Tomorrow is National Pretzel Day. You can celebrate in so many ways. Dip pretzels or pretzel sticks in chocolate, or you can make this Chocolate Pie with Pretzel Crust! No time to make the chocolate filling from scratch? Use a Pudding Box Mix.

CHOCOLATE PIE WITH PRETZEL CRUST

Pretzel Crust

Ingredients
12+ ounces pretzels, crushed
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/3 cup sweet butter, melted

Directions
Whirl pretzels in blender, so they're very fine. Add sugar and butter. Mix. Press half of mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool.

Pour in chocolate filling. Top with remaining pretzel mixture. Chill.

Chocolate Pie Filling

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1⁄2 cups milk
3 ounces dark chocolate (70-75% cacoa), chopped
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract

Directions
Combine sugar, cornstarch, milk and chocolate in top of double boiler. Cook over boiling water until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir a bit of hot chocolate mixture into egg yolks in order to temper eggs and keep them from curdling. Add tempered yolks to chocolate mixture, stirring constantly and thoroughly. Cool mixture. Add vanilla extract to chocolate and mix thoroughly. Pour chocolate filling into cooled pretzel crust. Top with remaining pretzel mixture. Chill before serving.