Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Rods

I have always been a HUGE fan of the sweet and salty combination, so let's just say that pretzels combined with chocolate AND caramel get me EVERY time!!!  I actually tried making some of these a few years ago, but made the mistake of using store bought caramel.  Yeah.....what happens is the caramel gets harder than a rock and you find people breaking their teeth :(  But, thanks to this recipe, I have discovered caramel that stays soft and oh so delicious!!!

Printable Version

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
pretzel rods
1 pkg chocolate chips (my favorite are ghirardelli, they melt so perfect without shortening and taste so yummy!)

Directions:
1.  Mix butter, sugar, corn syrup, and milk over medium heat.  Bring the caramel to a rolling boil to make sure the sugar is dissolved.  I like to wait until the caramel is completely cooled, it stays on much easier if you do!
2.  Melt chocolate.
3.  Spoon caramel onto pretzel rods and spread as smoothly as possible.
4.  Use a spoon to fully cover each pretzel with chocolate, leaving a bit of one end uncovered.  Place on parchment paper.  I placed some parchment paper in my freezer, rolled caramel on, quickly dipped the pretzel rod, and placed in the freezer to allow them to set quickly.  This way, there isn't much of a chocolate or caramel pool underneath where you set them.
5.  Once chocolate and caramel is set, drizzle as desired.

Source:  My Kitchen Cafe

Caramel Brownies

Me oh my.  I have been posting so many things for dinner lately that I had to bust out a delicious dessert.  These brownies have a soft layer of caramel that sits over a layer of milk chocolate chips....all sandwiched between brownie goodness.  Need I say more??  Divine.

Printable Version

Ingredients:

1 box German chocolate cake mix

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

Caramel mixture:

14 ounce package caramels

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup large milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Stir together cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and butter. Press half this mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan (It will be a thin layer). Bake for 6 minutes.
3. Melt caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk in saucepan over medium heat. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust. Drizzle caramel over chocolate chips. Put the other half of cake mixture on top. (Again, take a handful of mixture, smash it as thin as you can, and lay across the top.) Bake for 16-18 minutes.
5. Let cool before serving.

Source:  The Sister's Cafe