White Chocolate Sprinkle Pretzels

It all started after our most recent visit to Bottega Louie. Literally a pastel heaven, it's hard to decide whether I love the pretty packaging or the deliciously sweet confections more, and it's become a bit of a tradition to treat myself to a little something when I visit the downtown LA location as a break from a busy day of buying.

I've always admired the colurful sprinkle covered pretzels on the gilded shelves, but with so many other pastel temptations vying for my attention, they never made the cut until this past trip. I think it must be that perfect combination of sweet and salty, the crisp of the pretzel covered with the melt-in-your-mouth white chocolate, and of course the oh-so-important dusting of sprinkles (it's no secret I love a confetti-adorned snack!). As soon as I tried my first bite, it was all over, I had fallen in love.

So I set out to recreate these magical treats, dreaming up a few options based on what I found in the kitchen and wanting to test out a few varieties. I opted for three different pretzel options, each with a different sprinkle combination. The large pretzel sticks were topped with white sparkling sugar and tiny snowflake sprinkles, which I like to think of as my Frozen-inspired pretzels. The small pretzel sticks were dipped in pink sparkling sugar and shredded coconut, which adds a subtle tropical flavour that ended up being a delicious addition for something a little different. And last but not least, I crushed up some jumbo confetti sprinkles into a smaller size and used this on the classic mini pretzels twists. I was originally going to do the classic multi-coloured sprinkles, but wanted to come up with a "signature" sprinkle pretzel, and I love how these turned out, with the pastel confetti dust giving it a sparkly look.

A great alternative to Christmas cookies, these White Chocolate Sprinkle Pretzels are perfect for the holidays, whether you serve them to guests, or wrap them up as gifts. And the best part? They're super easy, and look just as good as any you'd buy from a fancy patisserie.

Recipe //

Salted pretzels, either sticks or twists Belgian white chocolate Variety of sprinkles/toppings

1 // Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Mix up any sprinkle combinations you want to use into bowls, ie. white sparkling sugar with snowflake sprinkles, and pink sparkling sugar with coconut.

2 // Add about 1-inch of water to a double boiler (or a saucepan with a metal bowl nestled atop – this is what I’ve always done and it works great). Heat over medium-low heat, slowly stirring the chocolate so it melts into a smooth consistency. White chocolate has a lower melting point, so it can seize easily.

3 // Dip pretzels in the melted white chocolate. I chose to dip most of the pretzels only halfway, but it's really a personal preference.

4 // Add sprinkles. Depending on what sprinkles you're using, you may find it easier to dip the pretzels straight into the bowl, or use your fingers to gently sprinkle them over the chocolate dipped pretzels. Place on parchment-lined tray.

5 // Place the tray in the fridge and let set for at least 15 minutes.