I find that most people have a love/hate relationship with pretzels. I know which camp I fall into and it is not love. The strange thing is, I love salty, savoury, crunchy snacks but there is just something about pretzels that I dislike.
I remember going to New York many years ago and being so excited to sample a real, legit pretzel. The Hungry Dad and I found a cart selling them, I bought one, savoured the moment, bit it then… nothing. I recall being so underwhelmed and so disappointed with my first foray into the world of pretzels that I threw it in the bin. Again, I love doughy food like bagels so I would have guessed that pretzels and I would be BFFs. Sadly it was not to be…
So despite my lacklustre opinion of pretzels I find they often appear in my pantry. I don’t know, obviously I am in charge of doing the groceries but every so often a giant bag appears. Misses 8 and 10 love them and eat them as after school snacks, or take them to school with hommos so they may very well be culprits sneaking them into the house.
Recently we were invited to a friend’s house for a casual lunch so I decided to create something from the gigantic bag of pretzels. I thought marrying the crunch of pretzels with the smoothness of dark chocolate sounded like a winner.
This chocolate pretzel tart is super rich so a thin wedge is sufficient, even for the most chocophiliac of dessert eaters.
GATHER:
2 ½ cups pretzels
185 grams butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup thickened cream
1 cup dark chocolate, diced
Extra whole pretzels to decorate
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 180C and grease an 18cm round tart/pie dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour the 2 ½ cups pretzels into the bowl of a food processor and wiz until finely crushed.
Tip in a mixing bowl then stir in the melted butter until all combined. Add the sugar and stir to mix, then press into the tart/pise dish. Bake for ten minutes then set aside.
In a small pan combine chocolate and cream over a low heat and stir until mixture is melted and glossy, stirring all the time.
Tip the chocolate into the pie crust then decorate with extra pretzels then place in the fridge for six hours until firm. Cut into wedges to serve.
the hungry mum 
I’m not a pretzel fan either but when combined with something sweet they are a good carrier of flavour.
That’s a good way of looking at them – a carrier of flavour. I must be less harsh in my pretzel hatred 😉
I didn’t think you were that harsh. For me if I’m out and if pretzels are the only choice I have more a sense of disappointment rather than hatred. Even if there was some cheese I could somehow combine the cheese with the pretzel.
This looks delicious! I agree with Gary about the something sweet -pretzels are better mixed with chocolate or crushed up into ice cream.
Ohhh, crushing into ice-cream is a fab idea!
2 of my favorite things! Pie looks sonderful!
Thanks Sarah 🙂 Chocolate plus pie equals happiness.
mmm sweet and salty – can’t beat that! 🙂
I love salty with my sweet – nice to break up the sweetness x
How clever and yummy 🙂
thanks so much 🙂
Oh this looks just like mine! http://www.notquitenigella.com/2016/05/10/nutella-pretzel-pie/
Oooh, yours has Nutella and cream cheese #swoon.
Yum Hungry Mum I am imagining the slight crunchy flavour that comes from blitzing the pretzels 😄
Cheers Laura 🙂 I love blitzing things in the food processor – so satisfying 🙂
What a lovely and unique look!
Yum! This sounds so good…Will definitely be trying it out! Gotta love chocolate. You should check out my flourless chocolate torte recipe. It’s my most recent post. So easy to make and so delicious!
Thanks. I love the name of your blog! Off to check it out 🙂
I love pretzels so a pretzel base sounds amazing
Ooh this looks yummy. I love pretzels and the sweet chocolate and salty pretzel combo is always good!
I don’t go crazy when I see a bowl of pretzels but I will nibble on them once the chips, nuts, candies, and crudités are all gone. I do enjoy chocolate smothered pretzels, however, and this pie would definitely work for me, Given enough chocolate, I’ll eat just about anything. 🙂