Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch Bars Recipes

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 THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Put 1/4 cup pretzels in a resealable plastic bag and crush into coarse crumbs with a rolling pin.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks, honey, vanilla and fine salt in a medium bowl, then add to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour and pretzel crumbs and beat until just combined.
• Put the remaining 1 1/4 cups pretzels in the resealable bag and roughly crush with the rolling pin; spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough on top and roll into balls, pressing so the pretzels adhere. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets; make a deep indentation in each with your thumb. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until lightly golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Re-indent with the back of a teaspoon, if necessary. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Fill each indentation with dulce de leche and sprinkle with sea salt.

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 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.