Peppermint Pretzel Bark

My pantry is overflowing with half-full bags of pretzels and lots of chocolate chips. Some festive bark is just the way to use them up.

After reading a bunch of online recipes, I decided that making bark was the next best thing to slaving away over Christmas cookies.

Making this holiday dessert couldn't be easier. (Although my husband will tell you that the crunching sound that comes from breaking up pretzels is disturbing if you're trying to watch TV. LOL)

The bark is also nice to give as gifts when you wrap it up in a cute little box or bag and a bow.

What treats are you making this year?

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Peppermint Pretzel Bark

1 16 ounce package of chocolate or vanilla candy coating
2 12 ounce bags of chocolate or vanilla chocolate chips
1 to 2 cups broken pretzels (any shape) crushed into small pieces
About 12 candy canes, crushed (or buy 2 of the 2 ounce bags of crushed peppermint)

Note: To crush pretzels, place in a gallon size ziplock bag. Smash with the bottom of a metal measuring cup to break into pieces.

Line a large baking sheet or 2 smaller ones with parchment paper.

Place candy coating in a large bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Add chips and microwave another 1 minute. Stir well. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one until chocolate is smooth.

Add pretzels and mix well, until all pretzel pieces are coated. Mix in about half of the crushed peppermint.

Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet and spread out into a layer that is about 1/4 inch thick.

Sprinkle with remaining crushed candy canes and gently press them down with the back of a spatula.

Place baking sheet in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Remove tray and break up bark by hand, or use a sharp knife to cut into pieces. Store in airtight containers. 

Erin's 2015 Christmas Menu

We do beef on Christmas. In Christmases past, we've made Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Shallots, Bacon, and Port. It's good stuff.

This year we're celebrating the holidays with the husband's family in Seattle. Now that we also live here in the Northwest, it's the first year that we get to sleep in our own beds and wake up to our own Christmas tree and still see family. We're pretty excited about it!

As I've mentioned a plethora of times, my mother in law is pretty much the best cook ever. I've learned so much from her! On Christmas, the husband will help her make a prime rib seasoned with a blizzard of salt and pepper, seared over high heat to form a crisp crust, and roasted in a low oven to buttery perfection. It's divine.

I'm in charge of some sides this year. On Christmas Eve I'm bringing my mom's Cheesy Potatoes to the extended family gathering. For Christmas dinner I'm contributing Potato Gratin with Smoked Cheddar Cheese. My MIL has made this one several times, and it's good. She said it's pretty easy if you use your food processor to slice the spuds. And it transports easily. I'll just bake it at home and we can re-heat it at her house.

Because there's never enough cookies on Christmas, I'm also bringing Cardamom Cookies. They have all the flavors of the holidays.

Kris Kringle Rice Krispie Treats

When I was growing up, my mom was invited to a cookie exchange with her girlfriends every December. And every year she brought the same cookies...which weren't cookies at all, but fancy pants rice krispie treats called Kris Kringles. Everybody loved them, her darling children included. Even though she brought some delicious cookies home from her exchange, the Kris Kringles were the first to get gobbled up at our house.

When Amy, Andrea, and I started chatting about posting our favorite Christmas cookies this week, I knew I had to share my mom's recipe for Kris Kringle Rice Krispie Treats. But although I had enjoyed these delicious treats since I was a kid, I had never actually made them myself. It was time to call my mom. She was at work when I called, but promptly recited the recipe from memory. They are as simple as they are delicious.

I hope you enjoy this taste of my Christmas past!

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Kris Kringle Rice Krispie Treats
From my mom...the best place to get a recipe

6 cups rice krispies
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter*
1 heaping cup butterscotch chips
1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Measure 6 cups of rice krispies into a really large bowl. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together sugar and corn syrup. As soon as it comes to a boil, immediately turn off the heat and stir in peanut butter. (You don't want it to boil too long because then your Kris Kringles will be really, really hard. My mom learned this from experience and shared her wisdom with me.) Carefully pour over the rice krispies and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler (or a heat-proof bowl set over barely simmering water) melt butterscotch chips and chocolate chips. Stir until it's a smooth mixture and pour over the bars. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate mixture to the edges. Allow the Kris Kringles to cool and the chocolate to harden before cutting into squares with a sharp knife.

*My mom recommends using chunky peanut butter. Since the husband is a creamy peanut butter kind of guy, that's what I used.

P.S. Danny has learned that it pays to hang around while I'm taking pictures for the blog. How could I deny this guy a taste?