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Caramel for pretzel coating


Darienne

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The kids down the road asked me if I could make them some pretzel rods dipped in caramel and then in chocolate. They are my official candy tasters and recipients.

I have tasted two different kinds of these pretzels and was not impressed.

Now I have read through all the postings on the two caramel oriented forums: Trouble shooting with caramel and Caramel popcorn, but neither deals specifically with dipping 'something' into caramel...and then later into chocolate. And I have also consulted my various confectionary books with no useful results.

Any ideas here? Please?

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Darienne,

I use the recipe from the eGCI - cool to about 60º C before dipping the rods. I then roll in toasted pecans chopped finely. When cool I drizzle with milk chocolate. The caramel has a tendency to flow until it's cool, so turn and squish until they do.

Coat them thickly!

Edited by Kerry Beal (log)
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Darienne,

I use the recipe from the eGCI - cool to about 60º C before dipping the rods.  I then roll in toasted pecans chopped finely.  When cool I drizzle with milk chocolate.  The caramel has a tendency to flow until it's cool, so  turn and squish until they do.

Coat them thickly!

Thanks Kerry,

I have downloaded the entire eGCI section...terrific!...and will use that recipe.

The toasted pecans sound good. I don't usually like milk chocolate very much, but it certainly went well with the pretzel taste.

My partner in things confectionary, Barbara, is coming today and we will dip some pretzels. We are using an old folding wooden clothes drying rack thingy and hanging the pretzels up from this to dry using plastic coat hangers. Works really well.

Thanks again. :biggrin:

ps. The hanging up part came after the dipping in chocolate part. And after holding them up for a few seconds to begin the hardening process. I don't like the way the commercial preztel rods are all flat and not rounded at all.

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Today’s caramel-wrapped (Kerry’s recipe), chocolate-dipped (70% Callebaut) pretzel rods were a great success. Gave them to our dogs’ vet and the clinic vet techs and was extremely popular as a consequence.

Kerry’s caramel went well. No problems. Dipping the pretzel rods was another matter. They are long and the caramel hardens quickly. Still all in all it went well.

Then dipping them into the chocolate was another challenge. Always these challenges. Long thin rods are not the easiest things to dip…but maybe there is a secret we didn’t know about.

The coated pretzel rods looked lumpy and amateurish to me…until we put the contrasting finishing milk chocolate touches on them. Slipped into a single clear cellophane candy envelope, sealed shut and finished with a Cheers & Chocolates label and suddenly they seemed transformed. They were things of beauty, well, at least in our eyes. . .

Husband Ed said he liked the chocolate coated raspberry marshmallows better…although he still wants nuts in them…

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Today’s caramel-wrapped (Kerry’s recipe), chocolate-dipped (70% Callebaut) pretzel rods were a great success.  Gave them to our dogs’ vet and the clinic vet techs and was extremely popular as a consequence.

Kerry’s caramel went well.  No problems.  Dipping the pretzel rods was another matter.  They are long and the caramel hardens quickly.  Still all in all it went well.

Then dipping them into the chocolate was another challenge.  Always these challenges.  Long thin rods are not the easiest things to dip…but maybe there is a secret we didn’t know about.

The coated pretzel rods looked lumpy and amateurish to me…until we put the contrasting finishing milk chocolate touches on them.  Slipped into a single clear cellophane candy envelope, sealed shut and finished with a Cheers & Chocolates label and suddenly they seemed transformed.  They were things of beauty, well, at least in our eyes.  .  . 

Husband Ed said he liked the chocolate coated raspberry marshmallows better…although he still wants nuts in them…

I put the caramel in a double boiler like thingy that I have and put it over warm water if it cools too much. I use a silicone spatula to drag the caramel up the pretzel rod, then turn the pretzel rod to make sure it gets covered.

I put my tempered chocolate in a stainless milkshake cup when I want to dip long things like pretzels or marshmallows on a stick.

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I put the caramel in a double boiler like thingy that I have and put it over warm water if it cools too much.  I use a silicone spatula to drag the caramel up the pretzel rod, then turn the pretzel rod to make sure it gets covered. 

I put my tempered chocolate in a stainless milkshake cup when I want to dip long things like pretzels or marshmallows on a stick.

We used a heat gun on the caramel when it started to cool too much and that was fine. I was concerned that the chocolate would get too hard too soon in a tall cup, so we basically dragged the chocolate up the rod.

Probably won't make them too often...

Thanks for all your help. :biggrin:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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This post is mostly for my own satisfaction, I guess.

Made the pretzels again last night and the project zipped along. This morning I shall decorate and wrap them.

There's nothing like the learning curve. And, :smile: I would make them again!

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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OK. Now we will see if I got this photo thingy correct. Nope, can't get the image to appear on the screen.

They were hardly a masterpiece, but they are delicious and they are destined for the wonderful library staff at my small local library. They went far beyond the call of duty getting me every chocolate book I could ask for by Inter Library Loan last year. Could they have had ulterior motives?

gallery_61273_6208_15975.jpg

Forgive me if this is a mess...I am trying to figure it out with the notes I have downloaded from the eG forum....

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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OK.  Now we will see if I got this photo thingy correct.  Nope, can't get the image to appear on the screen.

They were hardly a masterpiece, but they are delicious and they are destined for the wonderful library staff at my small local library.  They went far beyond the call of duty getting me every chocolate book I could ask for by Inter Library Loan last year.  Could they have had ulterior motives?

gallery_61273_6208_15975.jpg

Put the img quotes around the picture instead.

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Made a second batch of caramel-coated chocolate-dipped pretzel rods yesterday and the process went much more smoothly than the first effort. Again used Kerry's delicious recipe.

This is my lo-tech pretzel setting up booth: a plastic milk box crate from a former life, welding rods laid across and clamped to steady them, metal stringing beads used as spacers so that the pretzels cannot touch each other...and they try, they try...and clothespegs to hold them up. A silicone sheet below to catch the drips. Perfecto. Funny, but effective!

gallery_61273_6218_11363.jpg

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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