Dipping anything in chocolate is a laborious task. There's the melting of chocolate, a nerve-wracking task in and of itself if you've ever burnt chocolate before (note: I have!). Then there's all the dipping, one by one, careful to fully cover whatever it is you're dipping without leaving lumps or bald spots (now I sound like I'm talking about an old man's head!). Finally, there's the precise placement onto waxed paper so as not to disturb the wet chocolate.

Lucky for me, I have fabulous friends, in particular my dear friend Maggie who was kind enough to join me on a Friday afternoon to dip 150 of these little pretzel bites. Without her, my kitchen would have been filled with more chocolate splatters, more lumpy pretzel bites, and, possibly, more curse words uttered out of pure impatience and frustration. Instead, it was a lovely few hours in my kitchen, moving in sync as we melted, dipped, and sprinkled, catching up after a few weeks of not seeing each other. Thank you Maggie for saving me that afternoon!
Whether or not you rope a friend into making these with you, they are absolutely a must-make. The sweet-salty combination of pretzels, oreos, cream cheese, and chocolate is rather irresistible...especially when eaten cold from the refrigerator or freezer. I bagged these little guys up and sent my Cheesecake Extravaganza guests home with a few of their own, just in case they didn't get enough cream cheese at the party itself!


One Year Ago: Grilled Calzones

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cheesecake Pretzel Bites
adapted from Picky Palate

Ingredients:
-28 Oreo cookies
-4 oz cold cream cheese
-1 bag square pretzels
-3 lbs candy melts (chocolate or peanut butter flavored)
-sprinkles for decorating

Directions:
1. Place Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Mix Oreo crumbs with cream cheese (can pulse in food processor) and mix until dough forms.
2. Place a small amount of dough onto pretzel and top with another pretzel, squeezing to close.
3. Melt candy melts according to package instructions. Dip pretzel bites into chocolate, using a fork to cover completely. Place pretzels on a wax-paper lined baking sheet. Decorate with sprinkles. Place baking sheet in fridge to set chocolate. Store pretzel bites in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve (can also be frozen).