When I was in college, my service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, chapter decided to raise money for a project…or maybe it was an event, but I digress… by selling chocolate covered pretzels. We purchased large, sourdough hard pretzels, chocolate chips, shortening, and paraffin wax. We met at one of the members apartments to make them. Living on farms, when we were not at college, our chief taste tester and I should have know better, but we never considered the impact as we added various amounts of paraffin to the chocolate as we dipped our test pretzels. Several hours later, we did not have one successfully set pretzel, piles of mistakes, and had begun to feel the impact of the paraffin. It was the last time I attempted to use paraffin wax and chocolate chips to make a chocolate coating. It was also the last time for many decades years that I attempted to make dipped pretzels…until I found good tasting coating wafers and coating chocolates.
Now, it only takes me a few minutes to make several pretzel rods that are yummy and even decorated.
Dipped or coated pretzel rods are a sweet and salty treat that is great for showers, New Year’s Eve parties, Super Bowl parties, game night, and Christmas gifts. Yes, they are still a really great choice for a fund-raiser like a bake sale. 🙂
To serve at party, placing them on a tray or in a glass is an option. However, you can place them in clear cellophane bags or specially made “pretzel” bags to let guests even save them to take home if they wish.
This easy method uses coating “chocolate” or flavors instead of chocolate because it does not need tempered to shine, dries fast, and is significantly less temperamental. The key is buying good quality coating wafers. I really like Merckens and Ghirardelli brands in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white.
Easy Dipped Pretzel Rods
Ingredients
- white or chocolate coating wafers
- large pretzel rods
- decorating sugar, nuts, sprinkles, jimmies, miniature chips, mini M&M's, etc. (optional)
- water
Instructions
- Set up an area to dry the finished dipped pretzels by either laying down wax paper strips, a cooling rack over wax paper, foil, or baking sheet (for easier clean up), or by punching holes in an empty cereal or other similar box that is appropriate in width to stand a dipped pretzel in too cool.
- Place a few inches of water in the bottom of a double boiler (or a pot that a Pyrex or stainless steel bowl sits nicely on by covering the pot while not being too big to make a double boiler).
- Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and place top of boiler on or over water; making sure water is not close to touching the top of the double boiler.
- Add wafers, stirring enough to aid in the melting process.
- If the melting slows too far down, return double boiler to heat source.
- Once the wafers and fully melted, dip the pretzel in the melted coating leaving an area on one end that is equivalent to about 1/3 the length of the rod (or more) uncoated. Use a spoon to help coat the rod if needed.
- Turn rod upside down and allow the excess melted coating to drain back into the double boiler before moving it over a sheet of wax paper or a container to sprinkle any additional items like sugar or nuts.
- Place on paper, rack, or in a holder to dry.
- Dry completely before storing in an air tight container or bagging.