Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch Bars Food

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 CHOCOLATE AND CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate chips gently in the microwave (on low heat, stirring every 15 seconds) until smooth.
• Spread the chocolate evenly over the parchment. Immediately add the pretzel twists over the top (it's ok if they overlap!) and gently press them into the chocolate.
• Add caramel bits to a microwave safe bowl with 2 tablespoons water and melt according to package instructions (on high for 2 minutes). Stir well and drizzle the melted caramel over the top of all of the pretzels.
• Melt remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and drizzle over the caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt.
• Refrigerate until hardened.
• Cut or tear into pieces, Enjoy!

SALTED PRETZEL-MARSHMALLOW BARS

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.
• Pulse 1 cup pretzel pieces in a food processor until finely ground (you should have about 1/2 cup crumbs). Transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Let cool slightly, then stir in the eggs and vanilla. Stir the pretzel crumb mixture into the butter mixture in two additions.
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup pretzel pieces on top. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack, then lift the foil to remove the bars from the pan and transfer to a baking sheet.
• Preheat the broiler. Press the marshmallow halves, cut-side down, in even rows on top of the bars. Broil, rotating the baking sheet as needed, until the marshmallows are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes; let cool.
• Put the peanut butter chips and 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth. Repeat with the chocolate chips and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in another bowl. Drizzle the melted peanut butter and chocolate mixtures over the bars. Let harden at room temperature or chill to set before cutting.

SALTED CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cut cookie dough into thick slices; press onto bottom of 8-inch square pan sprayed with cooking spray. Prick several times with fork. Bake 15 to 17 min. or until lightly browned.
• Microwave caramels and 1/4 cup cream in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until caramels are completely melted and sauce is well blended, stirring after each minute. Stir in pretzels; pour over crust. Spread to completely cover crust.
• Microwave chocolate and remaining cream in separate 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.
• Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm before cutting into bars.

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.

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.

CARAMEL CRUNCH BARS

Steps:

• Line a 8-inch pan with foil, with ends extended over the sides of the pan.
• Grease the foil.
• Place graham crackers on bottom of the pan, cutting if needed to fit.
• Microwave the caramel bits with the milk on high for 2 minutes or until completely melted stirring every 30 seconds.
• Pour over graham crackers, top with peanuts, marshmallows and pretzels.
• Drizzle with chocolate.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour; use foil handles to lift out of pan before cutting into bars.