Pioneer Woman Pretzel Turtle Food

PRETZEL TURTLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through, until they're lightly toasted. Remove them after they're toasted and put them on a plate to cool. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange the pretzels neatly on the pan, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped caramel. Place the pan into the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the caramels are softened (but definitely not melting.) Remove the pan from the oven.Gently press a pecan half onto each caramel, just enough for the caramel to fill the pretzel. Set them aside to cool completely.Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. When the pretzel/caramels are cooled, remove them from the baking sheet. Spoon small dollops (1 1/2 teaspoon helpings) of chocolate all over the baking mat, then lightly drop each pretzel onto the middle of each dollop, making sure they're centered. Allow them to cool completely before serving (you can hasten this along in the fridge.)Variation: Spoon a little melted chocolate all over the tops of the turtles to cover the whole thing in chocolate.

PRETZEL ROLLS

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the milk and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a pot. Stir in the sugar. Scald the milk mixture slightly by heating it almost to a boil. Turn off the heat and let cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
• Add the flour, yeast, baking soda and salt to the milk mixture in the pot and stir until well combined. Cover the pot with a dish towel and place in a warm spot in the kitchen. Let the dough rise for an hour or so. It should roughly double in size.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll each into a neat ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a dish towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for another 20 minutes.
• For the water bath: While the dough is rising, bring a pot with 10 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the baking soda.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small pot or in the microwave.
• Working in 3 batches of 4 rolls each, drop the dough balls into the water and boil for 30 seconds. Transfer the boiled balls to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.
• To bake the rolls: Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make a small "x" in the top of each roll. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until deep brown, about 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL-PECAN PRETZEL BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put the pecan halves on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake, shaking the sheet once halfway through, until lightly toasted, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool.
• Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange the pretzels neatly on the baking sheet, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped caramel. Bake until the caramels soften (but are definitely not melting), 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently press a pecan half onto each caramel, just enough for the caramel to fill the pretzel. Set aside to cool completely.
• Remove the cooled pretzel/caramels from the baking sheet. Spoon 24 small dollops (1 1/2-teaspoon helpings) of the melted chocolate all over the baking sheet, then lightly drop a pretzel onto the middle of each dollop, making sure the pretzel is centered. Allow them to cool completely before serving (you can hasten this along in the fridge).

ROLO PRETZEL TURTLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Unwrap your Rolos. Place the pretzels on a baking sheet and top each one with a Rolo candy.
• Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes, until the chocolate just begins to melt. The Rolo should be soft but not completely melted.
• Remove from oven, place on cooling rack and immediately squish the chocolate with a nut. Watch the caramel ooze out. YUM.

ICE CREAM PRETZEL CAKE

Steps:

• Place crushed pretzels in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly.
• Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan.
• Cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
• Spread fudge topping over crust; cover and freeze.
• Set aside 16 chocolate-covered pretzels for garnish.
• Place remaining pretzels in a food processor; cover and process until crumbly.
• Transfer to a large bowl; stir in ice cream.
• Spread over fudge topping.
• Drizzle with caramel topping.
• Garnish with reserved pretzels.
• Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.