The Great SHARE Recipe Swap: Kathy Bateman's Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Looking for a festive party food that you can whip up quickly to bring to an event? Let’s say, for example, the SHARE 20th Anniversary Party? SHARE-UMMS President Kathy Bateman has you covered. Below is her recipe for Chocolate Covered Pretzels.

If you’re bringing your Nana’s secret-recipe fudge brownies to our big day, that’d be a welcome treat, of course. That said, we also would love to include everyone in the recipe collection. To learn more about our pot-luck event, and to access the Recipe Swap easy submission form, just visit the Great SHARE Recipe Swap website.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

About this Dish: This recipe is so fun and easy that children will enjoy rolling, sprinkling and designing their own pretzel creation. I make these during the holidays and they disappear in no time.

Ingredients and How to Make It:

1 container of Pretzel rods (about 48 rods in a container)

Melting chocolate – I use white and milk, but you can use whatever color/flavor you like.

Sprinkles for decoration

Parchment or wax paper

Preparation:

Have at least 4 large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper – this makes clean-up a breeze and the pretzels will not stick to the cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and turn the oven off.

Place the vanilla and chocolate on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and put into the oven to let the chocolate melt. Test for doneness by taking a toothpick, and swirl the chocolate through the middle.

While the chocolate is melting, place two of the parchment lined cookie sheets in the freezer so the chocolate will harden quickly after being dipped.

When the chocolate is melted, remove from the oven. Roll the pretzel rods in the chocolate to coat evenly and place on a frozen cookie sheet. This works up quickly. Once you have a whole sheet of pretzels, sprinkle with colored sprinkles and drizzle the different colored chocolate over the dark chocolate, same with the dark chocolate, drizzle over white pretzels. If you don’t have sprinkles, the drizzles will do just fine.

Place the decorated pretzels in the freezer for about 5 minutes. After removing from the freezer, place the pretzels on a plate or platter. Enjoy!

Additional Comments:

I purchase the white and chocolate flavored “Plymouth Pantry Almond Bark” at Wal-Mart, but you can use any kind of melting chocolate.

Submitted By: Kathy Bateman

Department: Pathology

The Great SHARE Recipe Swap: Jillian Schellhammer's Crab Rangoon Dip

RECIPES WANTED!

In honor of SHARE's 20th Anniversary (And, to prepare for the big Celebration), we're currently accepting recipes for the Great SHARE Recipe Swap.

We'd love to include your recipe in the collection. Find more details, including an easy submission form, on the Great SHARE Recipe Swap website.

To whet your appetite, here's a recipe provided by SHARE member Jillian Schellhammer, who works in Provider Enrollment in our hospital.

Crag Rangoon Dip with Toasted Won Tons and Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

About this Dish: I'm always preparing my house's dinner for the week on Mondays.. Feeling good, beginning of the week, I'm thinkin', "let's have a movie night Friday, and I'll make snacks!" - meaning, I will be tired after a long work week and have to host friends that I invited when I was energized (this happens, well, every week..). So, I prepared my Monday grocery shopping list and set off to the store. Thursday comes around, I'm already dreading hosting this little get together - thinking about all the cooking I will have to do.. Is there a way I can just order pizza..? Then it's Friday. I know how I am, I do this all of the time, I know that I'm going to go way overboard - and what do I do? Just that. BUT! It was totally worth it, and actually ended up being decently easy (just time consuming, you can easily make the thai chili sauce ahead of time or use store bought - I prefer homemade). Give it a try to wow your guests, or just yourself when you're craving some crab rangoons but really don't want the guilty feeling at the end.

Ingredients and How to Make It:

Crab Rangoon Dip Ingredients:

12oz lump crabmeat (or imitation crab), drained and shredded

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire

2 tsp soy sauce

3 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp Sriracha

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 package won ton wrappers (optional)

Sliced scallions

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red chili flakes (I add a dash more for a little more kick!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

IF DIPPING WITH WON TONS: Cut them into triangles, 2 per sheet. Add them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray, and bake for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

In a large bow, mix crabmeat, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, Worcestershire, soy sauce, lemon juice, Sriracha, garlic and pepper. Add salt to taste, give it another stir, and add to a casserole dish.

Top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes until the top begins to brown.

While dip is cooking, whisk all Sweet Thai Chili Sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.

Garnish hot Crab Rangoon dip with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce drizzle and chopped scallions. Dip with toasted won tons or dippers of your choice.

... ENJOY!

Additional comments: Baked won ton wrappers can easily be substituted with any chip/cracker of your choice.

Leftover Sweet Thai Chili Sauce can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for a few months.

FYI, won ton wrappers are found in the produce section!

Personal recipe blog coming SOON!

Submitted By: Jillian Schellhammer

Department: UMass Memorial Medical Group - Provider Enrollment