Friday Foodie - Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels

This recipe is one of my most favorite at Christmastime. I could eat my weight in them, and I almost have. They take just a bit of practice, but oh...they are so worth it.

Hoping you’re having a joyful Christmas holiday!

Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup margarine or butter, softened

½ cup shortening

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Glaze

¼ cup crushed peppermint candy

(Seal the candy in a freezer bag and smash them with a rolling pin.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together powdered sugar, margarine or butter, shortening, egg and vanilla.

Stir in flour, cocoa and salt.

To make the cookie: take about a tablespoon of dough and knead it in your hands a couple of times to make it smooth. Roll the dough into 9-inch ropes on a very lightly floured board (like the back of a cutting board). Don’t let them get too thin or they can break when it’s time to dip them in the chocolate glaze.

Take each end and criss-cross them to the other side to form a pretzel-like shape.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet, about an inch apart, at 375 degrees for 9 minutes. Let cool, and make the Chocolate Glaze.

Jesus is watching over my cookies while Mary and Joseph watch over Him.

Chocolate Glaze

2 1-oz. squares of unsweetened baking chocolate

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

2 cups powdered sugar

Heat unsweetened chocolate and margarine or butter over low heat or in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute increments at a time, just until melted. Remove from heat. Beat in the powdered sugar and 3 to 4 tablespoons water until smooth and of chocolate sauce-like consistently. I make mind a little on the thin side. It’s much easier to dip the cookies that way.

Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, a few at a time. Once you have a few cookies dipped, sprinkle with the crushed peppermint candy while the glaze is still wet so the candy will stick.

Let the glaze dry, if you can wait that long, and enjoy.

Merry Christmas!