I'm not big on cooking or baking, but being female means I'm usually the one asked to bring food to a party or donate something to a bake sale. I begrudgingly fulfull my wifey/womanly/motherly duties and come up with something homemade. I could buy something, I know, but... remember, I'm cheap. So, I end up making something that doesn't require cooking skills -- like a relish tray or watermelon -- or something that requires little effort -- like crock pot recipes that require opening a few cans and hitting the "on" button.

Several years ago, I saw a recipe in the newspaper for chocolate covered pretzel sticks. Mmmm...I thought, chocolate and salt -- two of my favorite food groups -- all in one fun snack.

I have been making them for every single holiday and bake sale, party and event since then. Kids love them. Adults love them. They're easy to make. And, can be customized to any event or holiday by choosing different colored chocolate or candy sprinkles.

WHAT YOU NEED:
1. Pretzel rods
2. Chocolate melting discs
3. Candy sprinkles (optional)

WHAT YOU DO:
1. Cover a table or counter with wax paper.
2. Melt chocolate according to package directions (50% power...stiring often). I melt mine in a 4.5-inch melamanie cup -- which is the PERFECT size to roll the pretzels in.
3. Once chocolate is melted completely (stiring is vital), roll one end of the pretzel rod in the chocolate. Shake the pretzel rod gently and tap on the side of the cup to remove excess chocolate.
4. Lay it down on the wax paper and shake candy sprinkles on top.

That's it! They dry in a 1/2 hour (or less).

TIPS:
* I buy melting discs from A.C. Moore (yeah, the craft store). They're available in a variety of colors and flavors (dark chocolate, white chocolate, mint) and are often on sale for $1.50 a bag.
* One regular-size bag of melting discs coats two bags of preztel rods.
* A.C. Moore (and other craft stores) sell special pretzel-size bags to bag them in -- making it easy to give them as gifts or lay them out on the bake sale table.

Below is a photo of Patty MacDowell holding some chocolate-covered pretzels. This photo is from our Erie Times-News archives and ran with the recipe that I read in the newspaper in December of 2003.
Patty MacDowell submitted a recipe for chocolate covered pretzels to Desperation Dinners.
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