Caramel Pretzel Bars Food

CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a 9-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Leave overhang on all sides for easy pan removal. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, mix the butter together till smooth. For around 1 minute. To the bowl, add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, 2 tbsp. honey and sea salt. Mix for 1-2 minutes. The mixture should be crumbly. Using your hands form a ball and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Flatten the mixture by pressing tightly into the pan. Now, add the pretzel pieces evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes and let it cool completely before adding the next layer.
• To a small pot, add the condensed coconut milk, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of honey. Cook on low heat, whisking consistently to avoid burning. The caramel will become brown and rich looking, just keep whisking. Once it starts to bubble, shut off the heat and add in the butter. Stir till combined and then pour over the completely cooled shortbread pretzel base layer.
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a small pot, on low low heat. Stirring just till melted then remove from heat and continue to combine. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cooled caramel and top it with big sea salt flakes.
• Place in the fridge to cool completely.
• Using the overhanging parchment, remove the bars and cut them into slices.

SALTED CARAMEL PRETZEL CRUNCH BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, salt, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until crumbly. Get your hands in there to make the dough come together. Press tightly into prepared pan. Press pretzel pieces evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding the caramel (I stick it in the refrigerator to speed this up).
• Prepare caramel and wait for it to cool until it slightly thickens. Pour/spoon over crust. Allow to cool and set completely before topping with chocolate. Again, I stick it in the refrigerator to speed it up.
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 15 second increments, stopping and stirring until completely melted. Pour over cooled caramel. Top with sea salt. Stick in the refrigerator to cool completely.
• Lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

SALTED CARAMEL PRETZEL BARK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line an 11x17-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Spread pretzels onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Combine butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour mixture over pretzels.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over pretzel mixture. Bake for 1 minute more. Stir mixture to evenly spread chocolate over pretzels. Lightly sprinkle salt over pretzels. Cool until set, 2 to 3 hours. Break into pieces.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In the bowl of a food processor, combine pretzels and sugar and process until you have fine crumbs. Add melted butter and process until evenly moistened. Transfer mixture into prepared pan and press down into a compact, even layer. Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are browned, about 17 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside.
• Prepare the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cream, brown sugar and salt. Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring, until butter melts and everything is well combined. Turn heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour over pecans and prepared crust. Bake until caramel is bubbling and has darkened slightly, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack.
• While caramel cools slightly, melt chocolate in short bursts in a heatproof bowl in a microwave or over a pot of simmering water. Let chocolate cool for a few minutes, then spread evenly over caramel. Sprinkle with crushed pretzels and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to set for 30 to 60 minutes.
• To serve, lift the bars out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 20 squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

SALTED CARAMEL-PRETZEL CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Salted Caramel Sauce:
• Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat; continue to cook, without stirring, until the sugar has dissolved (about 4 min.).
• Increase the heat to medium-high, then cook until the caramel has turned to a deep golden color (about 6 to 7 min.).
• Remove from heat. Add the heavy cream and whisk to incorporate, being careful as the heavy cream will bubble heavily.
• Return the saucepan to the heat. Add the butter and salt; stir. Cook for another minute.
• Turn off the heat and let the caramel sauce cool down before using. (The caramel will get thicker after it cools down but it won't harden at room temperature.)
• Pretzel Crust:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Line a 2-inch-deep 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, sugar and butter.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 12 min. or until golden brown.
• Cheesecake:
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Add the eggs, one at time, and mix until just blended.
• Stir in the vanilla and flour just until combined.
• Pour the cream cheese batter over the crust. Add ½ cup of the salted caramel sauce and swirl it into the cream cheese batter. Bake for 30 min. or until the center of cheesecake is set.
• Let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature.
• Pour the remaining 1 cup salted caramel sauce over the cooled cheesecake, then refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).
• Before serving, decorate with whole pretzels and salted caramel popcorn.

CHEWY CARAMEL POPCORN AND PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss together popcorn and pretzels. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water to a boil over medium-high. Boil, undisturbed, until mixture is amber in color, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and slowly pour in cream (mixture will sputter). Immediately add marshmallows; stir until melted.
• Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pretzels and quickly stir with a rubber spatula to coat. Transfer mixture to dish and use a piece of plastic wrap coated with cooking spray to press evenly into dish. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Let cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
• Place the pretzels onto the baking sheet in a single layer until it's completely covered.
• In a small pot, melt the butter and sugar over medium low heat. Bring it to a boil, then continue boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Pour the bubbly mixture evenly over the pretzels. The caramel mixture will even out when it bakes, so don't worry if you missed some spots.
• Bake it at 325F for 8 to 10 minutes until the caramel is fully bubbling on the entire sheet.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven then sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over top. Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 1 to 2 minutes to soften the chocolate chips.
• Use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the pretzel bars from the baking sheet and peel off the aluminum foil. Break it apart or cut it into squares with a large knife.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Press crust onto bottom and up sides of 8-inch square pan sprayed with cooking spray. Prick bottom of crust several times with fork. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until lightly browned.
• Microwave caramel bits and 3/4 cup COOL WHIP in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until bits are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Stir in pretzels. Pour over crust; spread to completely cover crust. Refrigerate 10 min.
• Microwave chocolate and remaining COOL WHIP in microwaveable bowl 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring every 30 sec.; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Pour over caramel layer in pan; spread to completely cover caramel layer.
• Let stand 2 hours before cutting into bars.