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Pretzel Button Snacks
This is a quick snack that is perfect for parties. Hopefully there is enough time for you to try them this Easter weekend. This is also a versatile recipe with all the different flavors of Hershey’s Kisses and M&M’s that are now available. The flavor combinations are almost endless! There are also lots of new candy colors that make this an especially cute snack! If you want to coordinate with party colors, you can even order special colors of M&M’s from their website (http://www.mymms.com/).
Variations:
- I tried these with Rolos and pecans. Not bad for a “quick turtle” candy treat. Sprinkle with a little flake salt for an extra sweet and salty treat.
- Spelt pretzels are also very good in this recipe for people on a wheat-free diet! I like the spelt pretzels from Newman’s Own.
- Removing the wrappers from the Kisses takes the most time (aside from the cooling). To save time, you can use jumbo chocolate chips, sometimes found in the baking aisle. They won’t be as chocolatey, but I bet they would still be delicious.
- You can also use chocolate disks or wafers found at cake supply stores (like Lynelle’s in Huntsville).
- Future experiment: I think mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups would be delicious, but I’m not sure how they would look (not that it really matters, since the taste would be so good!).
- I don’t think the peanut M&M’s are as “cute” as the regular sized M&M’s, but they still taste good!
Pretzel Button Snacks
1 bag pretzels (squares are perfect; round, or traditional also work)
1 bag Hershey’s Kisses (most any flavor would work)
1 bag M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces (most any flavor would work)
Preheat oven to 300º F. Line a baking sheet (preferably with sides) with parchment paper. Cover with a single layer of pretzels. Place a Hershey’s Kiss in the center of each pretzel. Carefully move the baking sheet to the oven. If you jostle them too much, you might end up with lopsided pretzel buttons (not that I did this or anything :-). Bake for about 2½ to 3 minutes. Watch them while they cook; you don’t want them too melted. You want them just melted enough to hold an M&M. Remove baking sheet from the oven. Immediately, press an M&M into each melted Kiss so it looks like a button. Don’t press too hard or chocolate will squish everywhere. Allow the chocolate to harden before storing or serving. You can either do this at room temperature (if you have enough time) or in the refrigerator (if you have enough space). Store in an air-tight container.
Post 6/13 – Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars
This is a quick bar cookie, great for potlucks, bake sales, etc. Usually, I have most of the ingredients in the pantry. It is a good recipe for using bulk ingredients that you might buy at Costco (with just two of us, getting through huge bags of brown sugar, chocolate chips, and oatmeal can prove challenging).
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars
1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened (or unsalted butter)
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
½ cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky, natural is ok, but it works better if it isn’t separated)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups oats (I prefer old-fashioned for the texture, but quick oats will also work)
½ cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips*
Preheat oven to 350º F. Use an electric mixture to cream the butter and brown sugar (if the butter is soft enough, hand mixing is fine). Add the peanut butter and vanilla and beat well. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Add the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir well. I do this step by hand so the oats don’t get broken up as much. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread in an even layer in a 12″x18″x2″ sheet cake pan lined with parchment paper (I use the butter wrappers to grease the parchment paper and then I use the wrappers to press the mixture into the pan). You can also bake them in muffin tins to make little individual bars. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean (it depends on your oven, the pan, etc.).
*Variations:
Decrease the chocolate chips and add some shredded coconut or chopped peanuts. Or you can substitute other ingredients for the chocolate chips: mini or regular M&Ms, mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chocolate covered raisins, Reese’s Pieces, toffee bits, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips.
The Flaming Pot Holder 