Directions

• Line 2 half-sheet pans or jelly roll pans (11 x 17 or bigger) with parchment paper (can also just use butter if you don’t have parchment paper). Divide pretzels into two batches and set aside.
• Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan (3 or 4 qt capacity).
• Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup, sugar, and water.
• Return pan to heat and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 300 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. This takes me about 30 minutes. Resist the urge to increase the heat and speed up the process. Mixture will burn if you do this.
• (READ THIS NEXT STEP CAREFULLY BECAUSE YOU MUST WORK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!) Once toffee reaches 300 degrees, you will REMOVE IT FROM THE BURNER, add the first batch of pretzels, and using metal tongs, give them a quick swirl. One by one, drip off excess toffee then lay each pretzel on the parchment paper. You only have about one minute to do this. Repeat with the second batch of pretzels.
• Set pretzels aside to harden. While pretzels harden, melt chocolate using a double boiler. To prepare double boiler, you will need a stainless steel bowl that can sit atop, but not inside, a saucepan/pot. Chop or break chocolate into pieces and place inside the stainless steel bowl. Add an inch of water to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to barely a simmer. Remove pot from burner and immediately place bowl of chocolate on top of pot, being careful to keep bowl full of chocolate dry (i.e. bottom of bowl should not come in contact with the water in the bottom of pot.
• Once chocolate melts, add hardened pretzels, (they should be hard by this point, but if not, wait until they are) one or two at a time, to coat with chocolate. You don’t need to move as quickly as you did with the toffee because you can always remelt chocolate. Using tongs, remove chocolate covered pretzels and place them back on the parchment covered sheet pans. Adorn with colored sprinkles and allow to dry.
• Store in a sealed container away from heat and humidity. If you live somewhere warm, you may want to store them in the freezer. Note that they will not look very pretty when they defrost on your cookie plate, but they will still taste good.