One of my very favorite holiday traditions is dipping chocolates with my family. I learned this tradition from my mother-in-law, Claire. This is a very special tradition in their family and she learned how to dip chocolates when they owned a candy store. This has been such a special tradition in our family that when Will and I got married we had dipped chocolates served with our dessert at our wedding! The recipe gives a rich dark chocolate taste to pretzels, oreos and even bacon! These make great gifts during the holidays!

Click here to watch the December 20, 2010 segment on Twin Cities Live when I made this recipe.

Ingredients
1 bag of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chips
3 TB Land O’ Lakes Butter
12 pretzel rods
12 chocolate sandwich cookies (I recommend holiday or peanut butter)
Holiday Sprinkles
Optional: 3 slices of thick cut bacon

Directions
In a medium-sized, microwave safe dish, combine chocolate chips and butter. In 20-second intervals, heat bowl in microwave. Repeat between 5-6 times, stirring completely after each interval until chocolate is completely melted when you stir it.

Hold pretzel rod in bowl and drizzle chocolate on half of the rod. Remove from chocolate and place rod on cookie sheet lined with wax paper or tin foil. Garnish immediately with holiday sprinkles. Repeat for remaining rods.

For cookie sandwiches, place one at a time, in bowl and cover with chocolate. Use a fork under the cookie to lift out of the chocolate and place on paper. Garnish immediately with holiday sprinkles. Repeat for remaining cookies.

For a fun twist, dip a few slices of bacon!

Chill in refrigerator to set chocolate.

Makes 12 dipped pretzel rods and 12 dipped cookies