How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

Make your own delicious gourmet style chocolate covered pretzel rods. These pretzels make great gifts for holiday parties, house warmings and classroom rewards. Use as a fund raiser for your favorite school club, sports team, or scout troop.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Several varieties of chocolate and candy coatings
• Different types of chocolate
• Pretzel rods
• Chopped nuts
• Sprinkles, also known as nonpareils or "jimmies"
• Crushed peppermint candies
• Shredded coconut
• Waxed paper
• Non-stick cookie sheets
• Double boiler
• Chocolate dipped pretzel rods
• Clear plastic candy bags
• Curling ribbon
• Baskets or boxes

Choosing the Chocolate

1. Different types of chocolate contain more or less cocoa butter and chocolate solids. Different types of chocolate and candy coating have different colors, flavors and effects when used to dip. Try a few to see how they melt, and how quickly they harden.
2. Chocolate contains cocoa butter and chocolate solids. White chocolate has cocoa butter, but no chocolate solids. Candy coatings have neither cocoa butter nor chocolate solids. Instead, they are made from oils such as coconut or palm. They can be any color, and are often flavored with vanilla, hazelnut or almond extracts.
3. Semi-sweet chocolate hardens quickly. It makes a good contrast to sweet centers such as fondant.
4. White chocolate melts smooth, coats well, and can be decorated with colored sugar or painted with tinted chocolate for a more festive look.

Dip it! Dip It Good!

5. Double Boilers Keep Your Chocolate from Scorching Using a double boiler on medium low heat, begin melting the chocolate. Start with white chocolate first, and work from lightest to darkest. That way you will not have to stop and clean out the pan each time you change colors.
6. Once chocolate has melted, spoon about half a cup onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Stir back and forth with a spoon until chocolate thickens a little. This is known as "tempering."
7. Taking a pretzel rod by one end, dip the other end into the chocolate, rolling it back and forth until it is well covered. Leave the end you are holding uncovered.
8. Non Pareils Roll coated pretzel in chopped nuts, nonpareils or crushed peppermints for extra kick.
9. Lay coated pretzels on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet to cool and harden.

Pretty It Up!

10. Take three or four different dipped pretzel rods. Try one white, one semi-sweet and one milk chocolate-dipped pretzel in a group. Or take one each of pretzels that have been rolled in nuts, candies or nonpareils.
11. Place dipped pretzels into candy bag with undipped end at the open end of the bag.
12. Gather bag at the open end and tie with curling ribbon.
13. Place several bags or dipped pretzel rods in a basket or box. Add holiday candy, cookies, or other treats or simply have bags of dipped pretzels by themselves.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a variety of types of chocolate. Each one looks and tastes a little different.
• Use a double boiler when melting chocolate for best results. Direct heat can scorch chocolate.
• Do not get water in the chocolate.
• Use medium low to low heat when melting chocolate.
• Take your time when melting chocolate.
• Start with lightest color chocolate when melting.
• Temper chocolate before you begin dipping.
• Do not get water in chocolate while melting it. It will become the consistency of raw liver and will not harden properly.