My go-to Holiday Snack

Who is headed to another weekend of holiday parties? 

I love a good party. I like to dress up, eat yummy food, and sip a good drink with all of my friends. So often, I need to bring something to parties and just don't have the time to make a massive dessert. 

Yet, the Martha Stewart in me refuses to buy something pre-made. So I cheat and whip up these pretzels in under 30 minutes. 

I buy chocolate and fun toppings: nuts, sprinkles, peppermints. Anything yummy, crunchy, and pretty. 

If you are heading to a party, anticipating friends stopping buy, or just wanting something yummy and pretty to snack on, here you go. Yummy and adorable AND easy. 

Party Worthy Chocolate Covered Pretzels 

You will need:
Milk or semi-sweet chocolate (either buy bars or good chocolate chips)
White chocolate (see above)
Pretzel rods (carefully check that you bag doesn't have too many broken ones!)
Toppings - crushed peppermints/candy canes, chopped pecan or peanuts, sprinkles, mini m&m's, anything.
** To crush peppermints, place unwrapped mints in a ziplock bag, seal, place on the floor, and hit with a rolling pin. Yep, those are my instructions. #letsbereal

Instructions: 
Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or foil, if you are in a pinch).

Pour one kind of chocolate into a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 40 seconds, stop and stir. Continue microwaving in 20-30 second increments and string in between. Once the chips/bars are half melted, stop heating and stir until fully melted. Do not add any butter/milk/oil. This can lead to grayish chocolate and prevent it from hardening.

Hold pretzel rod over the bowl and spoon chocolate over the rod. Gently spread the chocolate out evenly and place the rod on prepared pans.

Continue dipping until the pan is full. Sprinkle toppings over the pretzels while still melted and let harden. Cover with plastic wrap until chocolate is cool. If you are in a hurry, place the pans in the refrigerator for a few minutes!

For drizzle: Melt chocolate as above. Spoon melted chocolate into the corner of a plastic bag. Twist the top closed and clip a tiny hole in the corner. Quickly drizzle chocolate over contrasting pretzels. Let harden and enjoy!

What do you like to bring or eat at parties?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Dark Chocolate-Banana Muffins

I had some browning bananas on my counter & a serious sweet tooth on Thursday night, so I decided to whip up some muffins. Being a health-obsessed baker, I wanted to make this as yummy and healthy as possible. This recipe was born, incorporating my love of chocolate with some healthy add in's (banana, apple sauce, wheat flour, and Greek yogurt).

I started with a liquid base of mashed banana, apple sauce, Greek yogurt, and one egg. For dry ingredients  I used a combination of wheat & white flour, which provided a hearty muffin texture, but also a nice rise. I also used unsweetened cocoa powder to give the muffins a serious chocolate flavor rather than a banana flavor.

Whenever I cook with wheat flour, I use a bit more leavening ingredient to insure the dough rises. For these muffins, I mixed baking soda and powder. I chose dark chocolate chips for added richness, which meant I only needed a touch of sugar. The results were fantastic! Talk about a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. I recommend them right out of the oven ( mmm... .melty chocolate chips), or microwaved for 30 seconds. Yum :o)

Dark Chocolate-Banana Muffins

(Makes 12)

Ingredients
2  large bananas, well mashed
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (I used those single-serving cups from Trader Joes)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon EACH  baking soda and baking powder
1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (once again, the individual 6 oz. cups) 
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for topping

Directions
Mash bananas with apple sauce, egg, and sugar; set aside. Whisk flours,cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda/powder together. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then gently fold in the Greek yogurt and chocolate chips. The mixture should appear almost fluffy. Line muffin pan with 12 paper cups (optional), and lightly spray with oil. Fill cups 2/3 full and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top. Bake muffins at 375* for about 18 minutes. Check with a toothpick - it should come out clean. Be careful not to over bake, as chocolate muffins don't become brown. Let the muffins cool for several minutes, then store in a container (I keep mine in the refrigerator, though I am not sure its necessary). 

These are best enjoyed warm, so eat them right out of the oven, or briefly microwave before serving :) 

Enjoy, 
Hannah