Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bark

The  Scoop:

Let’s talk about Monday.
Let’s talk about driving to work on a Monday when the roads are super slippy slidey only to walk into your office and realize that you forgot your computer at home.
Let’s talk about traffic so terrible that it takes an hour and and a half to drive the 15 miles round trip to go home retrieve the aforementioned computer.

Let’s talk about first world problems.

Actually, let’s not talk about those things.  Those things aren’t fun.  Not even in the tiniest bit.

Let’s instead talk about Valentine’s Day.  And Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bark.

I told you about it last year, but I’m a total sucker for Valentine’s Day.  I seriously love it.  Dating, single, it don’t matter.  I just totally dig the concept of a holiday dedicated to love and chocolate.

Every February when the Valentine’s Day rolls around again, I take to the kitchen and make totally over the top sweets trays and boxes for my friends and coworkers.  I have a few standby recipes that I bake every year like my Proposal Cupcakes and favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I also like to throw some new guys into the mix.  My favorite additions this year were Red Velvet Cookies [so soft and amazing!], Chocolate Caramel Dipped Brownie Bites, and Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bark.

Every Christmas Roommate and her sister make these seriously beautiful chocolate dipped pretzels.  I’m absolutely crazy about the sweet and salty flavor combo, but just don’t seem to have the patience or the talent to make edible works of art like they do.  Instead of dipping my pretzels, I decided to sandwich them between layers of white and dark chocolate as a fun twist on a more traditional bark.  I scattered the top with red and pink candies and sprinkles to make them Valentine’s festive, but you can switch up the toppings any way you like to make this bark appropriate for just about any occasion!

The Goods:

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz semi sweet chocolate
• 16 oz white chocolate
• 2 1/2 cups broken pretzels [I used a mid sized sourdough]

Optional:

• festive sprinkles
• holiday M&M’s

The Deets:

Line a 10×15 inch pan [also known as a jelly roll pan] with foil and lightly grease it.

Melt the semi sweet chocolate until smooth.  I typically melt mine on the stove top in a non-stick saucepan.  I keep the heat on low and stir constantly to avoid burning.  Professionals would recommend using a double boiler or the microwave method.

Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer.  Scatter the pretzels over the chocolate and use your hands to gently press them into the chocolate.  Immediately transfer the pan to the refrigerator for a half hour to let the chocolate solidify.

Melt the white chocolate until smooth and pour it over the pretzels.  Working quickly, use a spatula to spread the white chocolate in an even layer, being sure to get it into all of the pretzel crevices.  Be sure to work quickly so as not to melt the dark chocolate below.  Sprinkle the white chocolate layer with festive sprinkles and candies before transferring it back to the refrigerator to cool for one hour.

Use your hands or a sharp knife to break the bark into serving sized pieces.

The Inspiration:

Original Recipe

This is how I say LOVE.

XOXO,

MJ