So right now I'm going to admit I'm a huge nerd....when I can't sleep I often brainstorm different combos for new cookies and cakes. The week before the Super Bowl, I started thinking of something sweet I could bring to the party I was attending. For whatever reason, the first thing that came to mind was chocolate covered pretzels.. chocolate, pretzels, sweet, salty...an amazing combination. Chocolate covered pretzels was too easy though.. I had to come up with something good and then it dawned on me:
a shortbread cookie (also one of my faves) +chocolate covered pretzels= chocolate covered short-zel-bread.
These cookies have the consistency of shortbread, with a hint of peanut butter, combined with crushed up pretzels and dipped in chocolate. They take a little bit of time because they need to be refrigerated or frozen, but that also means you can make them ahead of time and leave them in the freezer until you have time to bake them!
Chocolate Covered Short-zel-bread
A swEEts Original
Oven: 350 Bake time: 12 minutes
Oven: 350 Bake time: 12 minutes
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4cup of flour
3/4 cup crushed pretzels
2TBS peanut butter
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream butter, egg yolk, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla.
Add flour and crushed pretzels (to crush pretzels use a food processor, if you don't have one place pretzels in a ziplock bag and crush with your hands or beat with back of large spoon).
Divide dough into a log and wrap in saran wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least an hour) or place in the freezer. After the dough has been chilled, uncover the dough and cut into slices. Place slices onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.
After the cookies are baked place cookies on cooling rack. Once cookies are cooled, it's time to melt the chocolate. Place semi-sweet chocolate morsels in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Mix chocolate chips until smooth- if some chips still remain heat for another 10 seconds. Dip each cookie in chocolate and place on wax paper or the same parchment paper you used to bake the cookies on. Place freshly dipped cookies in refrigerator for another 10 minutes or so.
Happy Baking! :)