Chocolate snacks for the playoffs and the Super Bowl? Of course!
But this is not the time for ladylike candies or luscious cakes. This is the time for salty and sweet snacks that can be eaten by the bucket full while shouting and gesturing. The kind of chocolate that goes with soft drinks and beer, not wine or tea.
Chocolate Dipped Pretzels.
Melt chocolate slowly -- you can do it in a double boiler, of course, but for this you might prefer to use the microwave. Be sure to check it often -- chocolate pieces will hold their shape even when they're mostly melted, so the trick is to take it out of the microwave and stir it. If the chocolate won't stir to smoothness, give it a few more seconds.
We've used milk chocolate, but you can use any kind of chocolate, or a mixture of different kinds. Chili-infused chocolate is great for this snack.
Dip the pretzels in the chocolate and set them on parchment paper or waxed paper to dry. You can dip them into coconut or chopped nuts or sprinkle them with crystallized sugar if you want to dress them up a little.
To get a little more fancy, lay the pretzels in a ring shape, touching so that they keep the shape after the chocolate sets. Make two layers, placing the top layer of pretzels so that each one touches two of the bottom layer of pretzels.
Here, we've used miniature pretzels and pressed dried fruit into the chocolate while it was still warm.
Let your snacks set and cool completely, and store them in an air-tight container till the game starts.
