2.04.2010

Pretzel Bites

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In the land of taste, the combination of sweet and salty is the bee's knees as far as I'm concerned.  Sometimes, you taste the salty first, and just when you've had enough, you get the perfect balance as the sweet kicks in.  Sometimes the sweet comes first, but no matter which way it comes, you end up with the perfect satisfying treat.

These little nuggets are my new favorite in the salty and sweet combo.  And the best news is they couldn't be easier.  The largest time commitment is unwrapping the Hugs and if you have a Mr. Hungry of your own or maybe a few kids, you can give them this task while they watch TV.  And once Mr. Hungry had a couple of the finished product, he is always more than willing to do the unwrapping. 

I have to thank my friend Rachel for passing on this wonderful recipe.  They make a great snack or dessert for any group.  I would also dare you to try and find a treat that is so adaptable to any holiday.  Valentine's Day?  Only use red M&M's... Christmas? Use red and green M&M's... St Patrick's Day?  Use green M&M's... okay, hopefully you get the point.  And the combinations are endless... At certain holidays,
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{read the recipe note below if you want to know why I didn't use a bunch of these little guys}

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Pretzel Bites
Recipe Notes
You might be wondering why I don't suggest the obvious Hershy Kisses for this recipe.  They will work, but I find them to be not as pretty if you are making them for company (or in my case, a catering job I did over Christmas).  The white chocolate Hugs melt really well and the chocolate Kisses tend to crack and not melt down quite as well.  I have also decided that I definitely prefer peanut butter M&Ms over the regular, but you will have to find out for yourself which one you like better.
Ingredients
Square pretzels (Snyder's makes a great square pretzel)
Hershey Hugs, unwrapped
M&M's or Peanut Butter M&M's
Parchment Paper
Step by Step
1.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees f
2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3.  Spread pretzels in a single layer about an inch a part.
4.  Place a Hug on the center of each pretzel.
5.  Place in the oven and watch carefully.
6.  Remove from oven after 4 to 5 minutes of being heated.  To test pretzels to see if they are ready to come out of the oven, place an M&M on top of one Hug.  If it melts down, they are ready.  If just the tip melts down, continue to bake.
7.  Place one M&M on top of each Hug.  Place baking sheet in the refrigerator and allow to cool and harden completely; at least 30 minutes.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

14 comments:

  1. These are adorable! What a great idea! I am totally making these and taking them in to work. So fun!

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  2. Yum! I've never made those with hugs. My mom makes them with rolos and m&ms

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  3. I made these during Christmas with the regular chocolate but I love the fun twist of the hugs. So whimsical. Feel free to drop some off at my house anytime.

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  4. my favorite part of this post is that you wiki-linked "bee's knees"

    love you smashers.

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  5. sem & i are about to make these...hope they're worth it!!! :)

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  6. I made these for a Super Bowl party we had and there was not one left........thanks for the idea Ashlea!

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  7. I made these for our super bowl party and being Saint's fan, I got all black and yellow m&m's from a specialty candy store where you could pick your colors. They were a huge hit... and delicious!

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  8. quick, easy, cheap, and immensely delicious! new to blogging world and your blog. kuddos to you for an amazing and delicious treat! they were gone before i knew it :)

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  9. I second that... quick, easy and cheap! what could be better. Glad I tried both kinds of M&M's because my house was divided. My personal favorite was the chocolate M&M's but my husband and kids liked the peanut butter, but neither lasted very long!

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  10. Ashlea, I work with your mom and dad and I LOVE your blog! I made these last night with an 11-year-old and we had the best time! We used both kinds of M&Ms and also used regular Kisses with melty centers, they are called "Meltaways". Not as cute as Hugs but tast-y! Thanks for cooking and writing about it! :)

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  11. I have made these with pecan's on top instead of the M&M's. Pecan's and Rolo's are the best I have ever had!

    Thanks for sharing the idea of using hugs...I love the stipes of color it brings!

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  12. My mom used your recipe to make valentine pretzel bites with red and pink M&Ms. They were a BIG HIT! :) Thanks for the adorable idea.

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  13. I always make these! we call them "belly buttons" though. :)

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