I say “bundles” because I didn’t know what else to call them. I was craving something super sweet today, so I went a little crazy. Actually, I went crazy in the form of pretzel bundles, vanilla bean cookie sandwiches and cheesecake bars (which will be up later this week). I know, it’s a good thing I run a lot. Anyway, I’ve seen quite a few recipes out there for pretzel “sandwiches” or “bundles” or whatever you want to call them, but I thought I’d spice things up a bit today and make my version of the whole shebang. These pretzel sandwiches are stuffed with a delicious peanut butter filling, dipped in a melted chocolate and Nutella concoction and sprinkled with a bit of coarse sea salt. You really can’t go wrong with these little guys. They are unbelievably easy and you can easily knock out 100 of them without blinking an eye. Well you might blink a couple of times, but you get the point. They keep for a couple of days and taste great at room temperature or cool as a cucumber. We paired them with a magnificent milk stout. You can’t really go wrong there!
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So what goes into a peanut butter filling? Well you could either check out the recipe below or you could go here because if the recipe looks familiar, I’ve definitely used it before in my Sea-Salted Peanut Butter Brownie Bars. If you don’t care to read ahead then the peanut butter filling is a mixture of creamy peanut butter, unsalted room temperature butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and confectioner’s sugar. Pretty much every amazing ingredient known to mankind. Sounds pretty heavenly right? Yeah, I thought so too.
I had to incorporate beer somewhere in this recipe and I thought a milk stout was the perfect way to go. Southern Tier is at the top of my list in quality. They absolutely never disappoint. It’s really a crying shame that they don’t distribute out here, although maybe it’s not so bad, since we would probably be broke if they did. They make a great milk stout. It’s so great because it goes above and beyond “milk stout” to a “double milk stout” in the form of 2X Stout. I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s worth the effort. This beer is so smooth and satisfying. I really think it makes the perfect dessert beer. I would even go as far as drizzling a tablespoon or two of the beer into the chocolate/Nutella mixture. Hey, now there’s a thought! Next time. I don’t know why I think of these things after the fact. Oh well.
Well it’s been a great weekend, but it’s now time to get back to reality…the reality that is the kitchen. Not such a bad reality now that I really think about it! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their Sundays and has a great week!
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These little bundles are so easy and delicious. Chocolate and peanut butter pretzel bundles are the way to go for a quick treat!
Ingredients
- 3 ounces small pretzel snaps (approx 40-48 pretzels)
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup confectioner''s sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup Nutella
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (or salt flakes)
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, with paddle attachment fixed, cream together the peanut butter and butter. Slow the mixer to the lowest setting and gradually mix in the confectioner''s sugar. Once the confectioner''s sugar is partially integrated, turn the mixer to a medium setting and cream until the sugar is completely mixed in. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix again to combine. Set aside.
- Taking one pretzel, with a small spoon or rubber spatula, smear about 1/2 a teaspoon of peanut butter filling. Top with another pretzel and press lightly to seal. Place on a piece of parchment paper. Repeat this step for the rest of the pretzels (you should have about 20-24 when all is said and done).
- Once you have created all of your "sandwiches," bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer over medium-low heat, and place a glass bowl on top (heat-safe) to create a double boiler. Make sure the saucepan is deep enough so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Combine the chocolate and the Nutella in the glass bowl and using a rubber spatula stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat once melted.
- Immediately start dipping your "sandwiches" halfway into the chocolate/Nutella mixture and place back on the parchment. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and repeat this step for the rest of the "sandwiches."
- Let the chocolate harden completely and then serve or store in an airtight container for up to a week. For best results, refrigerate, but not 100% necessary. Enjoy!
Notes
Hardware: * Stand Mixer (with paddle attachment fixed) or Hand Mixer * Measuring Cups * Measuring Spoons * Small Saucepan * Glass (heat-safe) Bowl) * Rubber Spatula * Small Spoon *
