I'm delighted to host today's stop on the TLC Harlequin Winter Holiday Recipes (and reads!) tour featuring New York Times Bestselling author, B.J. Daniels. B.J. is here to share one of her favorite holiday treats to make and give away at Christmas. Please join me in giving her a warm Romance Dish welcome!
Read about the other authors and stops on the TLC Book Tours' Harlequin Winter Holiday Recipes (and reads!) tour by clicking here.
Candy-Coated Pretzels
Ingredients:
·
Pretzels – 1 bag
·
Vanilla Almond Bark – 24 oz block
·
Peanut Butter – ½ cup
·
Sprinkles – for decorating
I
love sending treats to the kids for the holidays. I have made cookies, fudge,
caramels, spiced nuts, caramel corn, popcorn balls and candy-coated pretzels.
What
is the first thing that they eat and wish they had more of? The candy-coated
pretzels.
So
I don’t think I need to tell you how many pretzels I make every season.
I’ve
learned tricks on how to do them since I have to make so many.
Yes,
they are easy, but time consuming. If you have any helpers around, they can do
the sprinkles. This is the job that has to be done while the candy coating is
still warm so a helper is always good.
Start
with finding pretzels. I live in the sticks so it isn’t easy to find them. I
like the large ones because the job goes faster, but often all I can find is
the tiny twists (1 lb bag) or the Christmas shapes they sell at Walmart.
Next
melt the Almond Bark in a large heavy bowl. A bowl that stays warm works best.
There will be melting directions on the back. Just don’t overcook it. You want
it melted enough that it coats but is easy to shake off the excess.
I
melt the entire 24 oz block then I dump in about 1/3 of the pretzels and stir.
You want to be able to stir so you can coat the pretzels. Too many pretzels
just makes it harder.
I’ve
learned a great trick. Use a metal skewer to hook onto a dozen of the coated
pretzels. You can let the excess drop off, then slide off one after another onto
a cookie sheet covered with foil. When full, just slide the foil off on the
table and get another sheet.
The
block of Almond Bark makes a bunch of pretzels. I often get over it when I
still have coating left. Just add some peanut butter. Put some pretzels on a
sheet of foil and pour the rest of the coating onto them. They will set up and
you can break off chunks. The peanut better makes it seem almost healthy.
Trust
me when I tell you that you can’t just eat one! Don’t eat while reading or they
will all disappear and you won’t know where they went. J
Have
a wonderful holiday.
B.J.
Daniels
Thank you for joining us today, B.J.!
Readers, do you have a favorite holiday recipe you'd like to share?
A conman's daughter takes refuge with the family she never knew she had in New York Times bestseller B.J. Daniels's latest addition to the Cardwell family saga.
Dee Anna Justice had thought that her convict father was her only living relative. Now Walter Justice, fearing for his daughter's safety, urges her to seek out her cousins in Montana. Calling in a decades-old debt, he also enlists private investigator Beau Tanner to protect her.
Despite their fiery attraction, she resents the bodyguard her dad foists on her. Trust doesn't come easy to DJ. But the warm, embracing family she finds at Cardwell ranch just might begin to soften her suspicious nature, and learning to trust the sexy PI may be the key to saving her life.
tried a few new ones lately and they didn't work out. Going to try a gingerbread one this week. Though I did do a quick fudge dad liked. It was 1 can of sweetened condensed milk(14oz) 1 bag of chocolate chips, I used dark chocolate ones, 1 tsp vanilla. Melt 1st two together till smooth then add vanilla. Pour into a lined pan and let set 2hrs in icebox.
ReplyDeleteWe love making cake pops. Bake a chocolate cake mix according to the directions on the package. Once cooled, crumble the cake. Add one container of store bought icing and mix well. Form into one inch balls and place close together on baking sheet. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Once set, take package of candy melt (any color) and melt in microwave. Place sucker sticks in each cake pop then dip in candy melt. Immediately garnish with sprinkles.
ReplyDeleteShortbread cookies, compliments of Canada Cornstarch box. I love how I can keep them all in a Ziploc in the freezer, then take out a couple to eat (and eat immediately) and continue freezing the rest. Not only is there no waste, but they can last me over a month that way!
ReplyDelete¾ cup (175 mL) butter
½ cup (125 mL) cornstarch
½ cup (125 mL) icing sugar
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
Cream butter in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix until a soft, smooth dough forms, then shape dough into 1” balls. (I use my hands to mix until a ball forms.)
Place about 1½” apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with a lightly-floured fork. Bake in 300oF (150oC) preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Makes about 24 to 30 cookies. (I place 12 or 15 on each tray.)
* May add sprinkles or granulated sugar before baking, if desired. (I think adding the sugar makes the cookies special.)
* If dough is too soft to handle, cover and chill about 1 hour.
Mmmm....
Last year I didn't make the fudge. When my brothers got here, they went to the fridge looking for it. I told them I didn't make it. Not happy. I will be making fudge tomorrow. They are arriving on 12/22/16. I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!
ReplyDelete