Chocolate Peanut Pretzel Bark (Sisterhood Christmas Treats)

Today we're featuring a guest post from a sister of a sister in the 'hood (Megan's sis, Melissa), who is going to share a favorite Christmas treat recipe from their grandmother. 

I don’t know about you, but this Christmas season has been rather stressful and busy for me. We live near lots of family members, and making sure we get time with all of them is a blessing as well as tricky. So when I need a quick and easy treat, I resort to my family’s Chocolate Peanut Pretzel Bark (NOTE: You may need an extra dose of self-control to keep from licking the bowl as you prepare this recipe). 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 12-oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate, if you prefer - just not milk chocolate)
• 1 12-oz. bag of peanut butter chips
• 1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
• 2 c. pretzel pieces
• 2 c. unsalted peanuts (seasoned or dry-roasted peanuts taste weird – trust me)

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter into a large microwave-safe bowl and begin melting process.  TIP: Don’t heat the chips for more than 20-30 seconds at a time before stirring. Burning chocolate is the WORST. I have a small, weak microwave, so I did three sets of 30-second melts, stirring in between each one. You will probably need less.

Crush up some pretzels until you have two cups of bits (HINT: this is a great phase for your little "helpers"). The easiest thing is to just dump a bunch of pretzels in a gallon ziplock bag and whack away with a wooden spoon.

Add the pretzel pieces and peanuts into the bowl with melted chocolate. Mix thoroughly until everything is coated.

Pour the mixture on a 9x12 or other large baking sheet covered in wax paper, and spread it out as thinly as possible – once the chocolate hardens it gets pretty thick. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator (or outside if cool enough) for about an hour until chilled and hardened thoroughly.

Once chilled, break your "bark" into small pieces and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (or out on the deck, as my grandmother used to do – saves room in the fridge). Enjoy! 


Melissa for the Sisterhood