Easy Pretzel Fudge

 

 First of all, Happy New Year!

It's crazy how fast the holiday season went, and now here we are in the stark-mantled, bare-branched, chill-breezed letdown of January.  Have some chocolate.

Second, guess if Santa brought me an unexpected-despite-heavy-hints new camera for Christmas?  Yes, yes, he did.  So my photos may be improving...eventually.   First I have to get through the backlog of good things I still want to post but used my old camera on.  Then I have to figure out how to use my new awesomeness.  Then I should probably take a class or something.  Like I said...eventually.  But I did photo this easy fudge New Year's morning with it.  Perfect morning light always helps.

My sister-in-law loves chocolate covered pretzels, but for some reason can't stand chocolate when she's pregnant.  She just had her fourth child in December, so I wanted to give her some chocolate-pretzel-ness to help her start making up for lost time.  I may have also eaten my share, though I have no lost time to make up.  But it's January, and I'm depressed!  Easy fudge definitely helps with that. 

Pretzel Fudge (print recipe)
Nonstick cooking spray
2 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp fine salt
2 1/2 cups roughly chopped miniature pretzels
3/4 cups peanuts, optional

1.  Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

2.  Place butter, chocolate chips, condensed milk, vanilla and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water.  Stir occasionally until chocolate just melts and mixture is combined and warm but not hot, 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups pretzels (and peanuts, if using.)  Transfer mixture to pan and smooth top; press 1/2 cup pretzels on top.  Refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to overnight, wrapped).  Using parchment, lift fudge from pan and cut into 36 squares.  (Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.)  Makes 36

Recipe from Everyday Food, June 2011