Chocolate Dipped Holiday Wreaths
This recipe is geared towards bulk preparation so that you can give them out to family and friends. They made the perfect gift for my daughter's dance teachers, neighbors, and classroom teachers, too. You can easily tape a coffee shop gift card to the bag for a delicious treat and beverage gift.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Start to Finish: 20-40 minutes
2 large family size bags of mini pretzels
3 12oz bags of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 12oz bag of White Chocolate Chips
1 3oz container of holiday sprinkles
6in clear or styrofoam plates
40 holiday goodie bags with twist ties
Place one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and half a bag of white chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Melt 30 seconds at a time, stirring frequently until completely melted. Bowl will be hot so be careful.
Place the two bowls on the counter. Pour a third of the bag into another bowl. Take out six 6in plates and lay them beside you, placing one in front of the chocolate bowls.
Dip the single loop (bottom) of the pretzel in the chocolate. (Two at a time once you get comfortable.) and place it on the plate in a circular pattern with the chocolate towards the inside of the circle. All chocolate edges should touch so that they harden into a complete circle. After forming a circle with about 10 pretzels, place another row of pretzels going around the top, off center with half covering one pretzel and the other half covering another pretzel.
Once the double circle layer is complete, dip one pretzel almost completely in white chocolate and place it at the bottom of a circle. Gently sprinkle the sprinkle candies over the warm chocolate and place it in the freezer to harden.
I found that by the time I finished the sixth wreath, my first wreath was hardened and ready to be placed in a bag. Open a few bags up so they're open before you pick up the wreaths.
Gently bend the plate a tiny bit so that it pulls away from the chocolate. Rotate the plate a few times as you do this until the whole pretzel wreath is separated. Pick up the wreath by the pretzel part not covered in chocolate (it will melt on your fingers) and gently place it in the bag. Twist the bag closed.
I stored the first batch in a box and took them to school the next day. If you aren't going to use them for a day or two, keep them in the refrigerator and be sure the bags are twisted tight. I do not know how long they last....I can't imagine anyone being around them more than a day or so and not eating them up anyway. :) Enjoy!
