"pretzel" news and stories

The praline frosting that I used to top the buttermilk layer cake that I made a few weeks ago was probably the best part of the cake. It was very sweet, almost candy-like, and after scraping a spoonful from the bottom of the bowl, I was struck with a craving for something salty to counteract the sugary praline taste. Inspiration struck when I spotted a bag of pretzels was sitting within reach on the counter. One thing let to another and soon I was making up a second batch of the praline to coat pretzels with. The pretzels were devoured by friends and family within a few days and almost everyone requested another batch.

Next time, I think I'll be adding a chocolate drizzle, too. You can find the frosting recipe here, though you might want to cut it in half unless you need dozens of pretzels.

Jif has a new product on the market called Jif Peanut Butter To Go. Are you familiar with those individual containers of applesauce? This is almost the exact same thing, but with creamy peanut butter instead of applesauce. The idea behind it is that the 2.25-oz cups can be tucked into lunch boxes, picnic baskets and the backseats of cars to make a convenient dip for veggies, pretzels or anything else that tastes good with peanut butter.

You might want to limit yourself to veggies, with these though, because although peanuts in general are very good for you, they're also high in fat and calories. Each container has 390 calories and 32 grams of fat - that's 50% of the recommended daily maximum! It's a good source of fiber and quite low in carbs, but that is still a hefty snack for such a little package.

Kettle Foods, the makers of the popular thick-cut Kettle-style potato chips, has introduced a new product to their line of healthier, baked chips. Kettle Bakes Pretzel Chips are thin, flat versions of pretzels, made with organic flour and topped with a variety of all-natural seasonings, including coarse-grained salt. Think of them as a hybrid between crackers, pretzels and potato chips, good for dipping as well as for snacking. Available flavors include Original, Honey Dijon and Fully Loaded, which is similar to an "everything" bagel, with onion and garlic flavorings, as well as sesame, poppy and caraway seeds. The chips are low in fat, contain no trans fat and have only 110-120 calories per serving.

What do I want from a nearly $2 chocolate bar? I'm done with that sticky raspberry filling from Lindt bars, or the rather mundane truffle filling in a European Milka bar or those little chocolate bar packs from Trader Joe's. I want something that combines smooth and creamy with crunch, and a little salt or spice for interest.

Choxie's peanut butter pretzel bar filled all my criteria. I picked one of these up when I was absolutely starved, at the end of a very long Target trip where I'd spent too much money and carried my 20-some-pound baby around far too long. As I stood in the checkout stand watching the money melt away, with five minutes to spare before the doors got locked down, I saw this bar and couldn't resist.