Hi Everyone!
Well it’s pretty apparent that I have some kind of major sweet tooth thing going on this week. But next week, I promise to be better! Well actually I have been a good girl all week. Going to the gym, eat healthy meals and drinking lots of water. All of these sweet treats that you have seen this week, were all made last weekend!! It all started when I got chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joe’s. I ate way to many! I actually threw them out because I couldn’t stop eating them. Ever since then I was on a major sweet train all last weekend, but not anymore! I told myself that Monday is a new day and a new week, meaning I’m going to eat better! You’ll see those recipes next week. 🙂 So let’s finish the week off on a healthy indulgence!
These are my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites. Oh man are they good, so darn good that I am glad that I didn’t make these for me. These little bits have it all going on, sweet and salty, crunchy and chocolaty. I made these little bites for the girls at work. They kept talking about a recipe that they saw for raw cookie dough. You know the one with butter, sugar, flour, chocolate chips and high calories and fat! I told them, just wait, let me make you some of my chocolate chip cookie dough balls before they start making that other recipe. I told them mine is healthy and natural. They said fine, but kind of had a whatever look on their face. See they don’t worry about sugar and calories like I do. But I want my friends to be around for a long time, so if I can teach them that they can still have sweet treats without the calories, then I shall do so! 🙂
I was originally going to make my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls and be done with it, then I saw a bag of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers at the grocery store and I turned around and there was a display of pretzels. Then I remembered seeing other blogger recipes of peanut butter and pretzel sandwiches and I thought, I so need to do this with my dough balls!
That was probably bad on my part but I needed to impress and step up my recipe a bit! So today’s recipe was born! I first made my cookie dough with cashews, maple syrup vanilla extract and a few other ingredients. Then I smushed them between mini pretzel twists. Here they are before they got dipped in chocolate.
I placed my smushed sandwiches in the fridge while I cleaned up m mess. I melted the dark chocolate and gave my pretzels a dip. I didn’t want to much chocolate, just a small bite. I have to say the Ghiradelli chocolate melts like a dream. It’s so creamy smooth and still tastes sweet for a dark chocolate. So good!
Placed my finished sandwiches in the refrigerator for the chocolate to set. I highly recommend storing your finished pretzel bites in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t melt. The pretzels stay nice and crunchy and because the dough is made with cashews, they stay nice and soft. So perfect. Since I am writing this in advance I don’t know what my co-workers will think, but I am excited for them to try them. They are really so delicious!! This is a nice healthy treat and all pretty natural except for the pretzels and dark chocolate is good for you, so these little bites are a win, win!!
When I started to make them I didn’t use as much dough, but as I was making them I noticed I used more and more dough, so some of them are nice and thick. The recipe makes 40 of these lovely bites. The calories are only 74 and only contain 3 grams of sugar. I am pretty happy with these stats. Now only if I could eat just one. I ate four while making them. I know, I know, I had to test them! 🙂
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp. stevia
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp. butter extract (optional)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour
- 3 tbsp. mini chocolate chips
- 80 mini pretzel twists
- 82 grams dark chocolate metling wafers
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a food processor add cashews and process until the consistency of peanut butter. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Add maple syrup, stevia, vanilla extract, butter extract and salt. Process until combined.
- Add cashew mixture into a bowl and stir in flour, until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Take about a teaspoon of dough and form it into a ball. Place dough ball onto a pretzel and take another pretzel and press it over the top to make a sandwich. Do this until you have used up all of the cookie dough. Place the sandwiches onto baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes or so. I did it for 30 minutes.
- In a microwave safe dish, add chocolate and heat for 20 seconds, stir until chocolate is melted. If it's not melting, place back of the microwave and heat for 10 second intervals stirring in between intervals until chocolate is melted.
- Take the pretzel sandwiches out of the freezer and dip into the melted chocolate. Place back onto baking sheet. Do this until all the sandwiches have been dipped.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Even though these little bites were time-consuming, they were fun to make and I know that I will be making them again!! Then again, I have the tendency to lose all control when cookie dough is around. As you know it’s my weakness, that is why I do not make my Husband his weekly chocolate chip cookies. I truly have no control. You think to yourself, I’m a strong woman, I can say no, but really I can’t! It can be so hard sometimes. Why can’t I be one of those people who can eat whatever they want and not gain any weight? Sigh…
Well Guys, I am out of here! I need to fold laundry and get ready for bed! Just be sure next time you are craving cookie dough, give this recipe a try! It’s pretty healthy for you and better than dipping your hands in actual raw cookie dough!! 🙂
Have a super great weekend!
Toodles,
Jennifer
UPDATE: I took these to work and they ALL got eaten! The whole batch! Everyone couldn’t believe how good they are and even my boss, who I wouldn’t think would like treats like this, stopped by my office and he told me they are very nice and that’s a big compliment coming from him. he he I was a little disappointed because I was hoping there would be a few left when I got into work the next day! I guess I will be making these again to take to work. 🙂
One last thing! I got an e-mail from OXO and wanted to share it with you. This is awesome!!!!
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Thank you for “Baking” a Difference
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