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:: Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Goodies 2010 ::
This Caramel Pretzel Rod recipe continues to be a favorite of mine year after year.  The combination of sweet and salty is just right!  The addition of caramel is a great twist to the traditional candy coated pretzels that you see around the holidays.  Plus, this recipe makes enough caramel to have some left over after all of the pretzels have been dipped!

Caramel Pretzel Rods

This recipe takes a bit of time to put together, so make sure you’ve got at least an hour or so blocked out to make them.

Gather around your ingredients.

The Lineup

I start by breaking the pretzel rods in half.  I’ve found that it’s really hard to dip the entire pretzel rod, and that if you just break them in half, there is a much better pretzel to caramel/chocolate ratio!

Broken

Next, make the caramel.  You begin by heating the butter, sugar, and corn syrup, and bringing it to a boil.  Then, you stop stirring and let it boil for 4 minutes.  After that, stir in the sweetened condensed milk.  Return it back to the heat and cook until it reaches 245 degrees F, also known as the “firm ball stage”.

Butter, Sugar, Syrup Melted Bubbling

Sweetened Bubbling Again Caramelizing

Caramel

Now I hope you’re ready to work carefully and quickly!  Dip the caramel rod in the caramel, broken end in first, let the excess drip off and place on silicone mats to cool.

Dipped

There will be some excess caramel which pools around the bottom of the pretzel.  After it has cooled enough to touch, I pick each one up and form the caramel back around the pretzel so that it doesn’t have as much as of a flat spot.

In Form

Next, it’s time to melt the candy coating.  Dip about half of the rods in each flavor (vanilla and chocolate).  After those cool, take the other flavor and drizzle it over the tops for a “fancier” effect.  My “high tech” way of doing the drizzle is to put the melted candy coating in a small zippered bag and snip off a tiny corner.  Instant piping bag!  It also makes for easy cleanup, because after you are finished decorating, you can just toss it in the trash.

Chocolate DippedVanilla Dipped

DrizzledDrizzled

These treats will keep at least one week in an airtight container… That is, if you can keep people out of them!

Caramel Pretzel Rods

12 Days of Goodies: Caramel Pretzel Rods

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup butter cubed
  • 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 10-oz package pretzel rods approx. 25 pretzel rods
  • 6- to 12- oz vanilla and chocolate candy coating

Instructions
 

  • Grease an 8"x8" pan well.
  • In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, & butter. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling, without stirring, at a moderate-steady rate for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Stir in milk and return to heat. Reduce heat to medium/low, cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 245 degrees F (firm ball stage). Keep warm.
  • Quickly dip pretzels into caramel, allowing excess to drip off. Dry on silicone baking mats or well-buttered baking sheets. Parchment and/or wax paper are NOT recommended.
  • Pour remaining caramel into greased pan and allow to cool before cutting into squares.
  • Melt candy coating. Dip in candy coating, and when dry, drizzle with the other flavor of coating. After cooled, store in airtight containers.

Adapted from Taste of Home