Hi Ladies! Wow...Christmas is only 6 days away!!! If you are like me, you are probably in the midst of getting gifts not only for your kids and your family, but when you have younger children....teachers too!! With having 2 special needs children comes lots of therapists, very special physicians, teachers, aids, nurses, and bus drivers. My go-to for not too costly, but beautiful, and of course, yummy, gifts are CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS. I know tomorrow is the last day of school for most of the kids, BUT if you still need a few budget friendly gifts in the days ahead, here's a great idea!
Chocolate covered pretzels don't sound too fancy or too hard to make, but I do some simple tricks that make these babies look store bought - or better yet, look so homemade with much time and attention to detail that you'll hear lots of "oohhhs" and "ahhhhs."
First, I start with a barrel of Pretzel Sticks. These are about half of the size of pretzel rods. Perfect
for dipping! I am a Sam's Club kinda girl, so I get this big barrel there at a great price!! This year I found my secret ingredient at Sam's too - Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips. Usually I buy the normal 12oz bags at Marc's or Giant Eagle, but Sam's had 33oz bags for sale. This chocolate is what makes these pretzels truly outstanding...the melted chocolate is thick and rich, not runny like some brands would be. I use Nestle Tollhouse white chocolate to dip as well. Don't let the white chocolate get too hot; otherwise, the white chocolate can get pretty runny.
I follow the melting instructions on the bag for each kind of chocolate. I always melt the chocolate in
the microwave in a glass Pyrex liquid measuring cup (1-2 cup size - no bigger - pictured on left). Once your chocolate is melted you are ready to dip! Lay each dipped pretzel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Before the chocolate hardens, this is your chance to make these pretzels shine, glitter, and look fabulous. Edible glitter in gold and silver and gold and silver crystals are just a few of my faves. You can find these at a cake decorating store OR if you ever go to Amish Country,
Heini's Cheese Chalet has an awesome section of sprinkles and decorations at great prices! The point is (and you hear this on Food Network ALL the time!!) presentation is everything!!! You can make these pretzels look awesome with all the bling and decorations you add to them. You truly can never have to much edible glitter, silver and gold nonpareils, and crushed candy canes. This is the time to let your creativity come out. And this is why home made gifts are so special - because you have decorated and thought about each and every one!
Once my pretzels are glitzin' and glammin', they go into the refrigerator to harden. Once the chocolate has hardened, I put them in an airtight container....until the final presentation.
I buy little loaf pans at Michael's Craft Store. They are usually $1.00 each, but this year they were on sale for $.60 each. I love these pans because they fit my pretzels perfectly! Also, because they're ceramic, they can be used again for baking, or even used a cute candy dish. These pans are just an example one of the simplest details that takes these pretzels from ordinary to extraordinary. I put a layer of fun, cute tissue paper at the bottom and then I lay the pretzels in the loaf pan. I arrange them strategically to create a look of fullness and always putting my favorite pretzels in the front.
Once the pans are filled, I purchase celaphane bags from my local cake/candy shop for $.18 each. You really can take ANY dish into most candy stores to find a bag that fits around the gift just perfect. Once the pretzels are in the bags, I tie the bags off with a soft ribbon (wire-free). To keep the edges from fraying I melt them very quickly with a lighter. The ribbon stays beautiful and looks amazing.
You can take these tips and tweak them however best suits you. Just remember, it is the embellishments that make all the difference, so don't be afraid to spend a few extra dollars on decorations which will create the look of fancy and festive (even though you and I know this project is very frugal!!). Enjoy!!
Have a blessed Christmas! Rejoice in the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Many Blessings!
Christine
No comments :
Post a Comment