Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas: Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Treat everyone on your Christmas list this year by making chocolate dipped pretzels. Chocolate dipped pretzels are easy to make. A few inexpensive grocery items makes lots of great tasting pretzels to give to all the people on your list.

To make chocolate dipped pretzels, you will need a double boiler or microwave, melting chocolate, and pretzels in any shape and size. Colorful candy sprinkles or other crushed toppings are optional, but add a little jazz to your finished pretzels.

There are a few chocolate options available for dipping pretzels. The easiest chocolate to use to make your chocolate dipped pretzels is chocolate melting disks. Buy these anywhere where candy making and chocolate molding supplies are sold. Melting disks are available in milk, dark or white chocolate. Often, you will find the white disks available in a variety of colors, and sometimes both white and milk chocolate disks are found with added flavors such as mint. To create your own custom colors, buy white disks and food coloring specially labeled for use with chocolate. (NOTE: do not use regular food coloring, as it will thin and distort the texture of your chocolate).

Melting disks are the easiest chocolate to melt for your dipped pretzels because they require no chopping or additional preparation. Chocolate blocks sold in the baking goods aisle of grocery stores work equally well. Look for one pound blocks of 'almond bark'. Almond bark is milk, white or dark chocolate sold for use in chocolate melting and making almond bark. If you purchase chocolate in blocks, such as almond bark, the block needs to be chopped into small pieces so that it will melt properly. Almond bark is often cheaper and easier to find than melting disks if you do not live near a chocolate crafting supply. Additionally, you can shop online candy crafters and craft supplies for melting disks and chocolates.

Chocolate chips can be melted to make chocolate dipped pretzels as well. However, chocolate chips have not been 'tempered' the way that melting disks and almond bark has. Tempering is a process of heating and cooling chocolate to specific temperatures. Chocolate that has been tempered retains a smooth chocolate gloss after it has cooled. Untempered chocolate, such as that which chocolate chips are made of, may take on a dried, mottled white look after a few days. This mottling does not effect the safety or flavor of the chocolate dipped pretzels, but may look unappetizing. If you choose to melt chocolate chips for your chocolate dipped pretzels, search online for tempering directions, although it should be noted that tempering is a somewhat tricky process, usually attempted only by veteran candy makers. Adding a small piece of edible paraffin wax to melted chocolate chips will give your finished Christmas gifts a smooth gloss as the chocolate dries as well.

After you have chosen and prepped your melting chocolate, melt it in a microwave safe bowl or double boiler. For melting in a microwave, start melting the chocolate for one minute, stir and repeat until all the chocolate is melted. Stirring, while tedious, is essential. Hot spots in the chocolate melted in your microwave will burn. Overcooked chocolate will take on a lumpy consistency that is not useful for pouring or dipping.

A double boiler is often the most preferred method in chocolate and candy crafting. If you do not have a double boiler, place a smaller pan inside a larger one and fill the large pan with water. Fill the empty small pan with the chopped chocolate or melting disks. Heat the chocolate, stirring every few minutes, until the chocolate is fully melted. The chocolate will be a smooth, pourable, creamy consistency. Do not overcook the chocolate as lumps will form. It is best to turn the heat down very low or off completely once the chocolate is melted. The hot water bath keeps the chocolate warm. If need be, you can always reheat the chocolate (in the double boiler) if it gets too cool before you have dipped all your pretzels.

Once the chocolate is melted, dip the pretzels. For traditional, 'round' shaped pretzels, submerge the entire pretzels and remove from the chocolate with a chocolate dipping fork or table fork. Set out on waxed paper to cool and harden. If you are adding sprinkles or other extras, shake them onto the dipped pretzels just after they are removed from the melting chocolate.

Large pretzels and pretzels sticks make wonderful dipped chocolate pretzel gifts as well. For large round pretzels, dip only the top or one half of the pretzel, roll in sprinkles (optional) and cool on waxed paper. Similarly, dip half of a pretzel rod by submerging one end, rolling in toppings and laying to cool.

That's it! That is all it takes to make chocolate dipped pretzels to give as Christmas gifts. To dress the dipped pretzels up for giving, bundle several together and tie with a piece of ribbon. Add to gift baskets or give a bagful by themselves. Large poly treat bags, mason jars or decorative tins are other great ways to package your chocolate pretzel gifts.

For a fun edible Christmas tree decoration, tie or weave plaid or Christmas ribbon through the sides of dipped pretzels to make a delicious tree garland.

Chocolate dipped pretzels make scrumptious treats for giving as gifts to teachers, neighbors, grandparents and more. They are a much appreciated and delicious alternative to cookies and baked goods. The tasty combination of sweet and salty will surprise you.

Chocolate dipped pretzels will last for days, even weeks when packaged in an air tight container, giving you more time to make them ahead, and less stress trying to get them all out to gift recipients within a day of preparation. And who couldn't use a little time leeway during the holidays!

Happy gift giving!