Caramel Pretzel Sticks

This is a neat recipe that works really well around Christmastime. It is fun to prepare these snacks with another person. Large pretzel rods are dipped in homemade caramel sauce then in milk and white chocolate to decorate them. Get creative with how you apply the chocolate. You could even mix red or green food coloring in with the white chocolate. Broken pretzel rods can still be used -- just dip the broken end in the caramel.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup butter, cubed
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 package (10 oz) pretzel rods
- 6 to 12 oz white candy coating
- 6 to 12 oz milk chocolate candy coating
- 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling, without stirring, at a moderate-to-steady rate for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sweetened condensed milk. Return to heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 245 degrees (firm ball stage) (we didn't use a thermometer). Keep warm.

Pour 1 cup caramel into a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Quickly dip each pretzel rod halfway into caramel. Allow excess to drip off. Place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Let stand until hardened.

In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, melt white candy coating. Dip half of the caramel-coated pretzels into coating. Melt milk chocolate coating; dip remaining pretzels.

Drizzle white-coated pretzels with milk chocolate coating; drizzle milk chocolate-coated pretzels with white coating. Sprinkle with walnuts if desired. Store in an air-tight container.

Note: When we tried this recipe, it made far more than enough caramel. You may want to have extra pretzel rods handy just in case. Alternatively, you can pour remaining caramel into an 8x8 inch pan and cool to room temperature, then cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.