Malted Pretzel Crunch
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: About 4 cups pretzel crunch
 
Recipe created by Christina Tosi, via Epicurious, with my revisions
ingredients:
  • 4 cups salted mini pretzels - about ½ of a 16-ounce bag
  • ½ cup tightly packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons milk powder
  • ¼ cup malted milk powder *
  • ½ teaspoon salt **
  • 14 tablespoons butter (1 stick, plus 6 tablespoons), melted
directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 275 F.
  2. Pour the pretzels in a large bowl and crush them with your hands (I threw them in a ziplock bag and hammered them with a mallet - easier, in my opinion) to one-quarter of their original size. Add the milk powder, malt powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt (if necessary), toss to mix. Pour the butter over the pretzel mix and toss to coat. As you toss, the butter will act as glue, binding the dry ingredients to the pretzels and creating small clusters. (I did not get small clusters, but once baked, it formed a sheet of pretzel crunch that I broke into pieces).
  3. Spread the clusters on a parchment or silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until it looks toasted, smells buttery, and crunches gently when you bite into it.
  4. Cool the pretzel crunch completely before storing, eating, or using in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week. Stored in the fridge or freezer, it will keep for 1 month. I think this pretzel crunch would be fantastic in cookies with chocolate chunks OR drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the sheet of pretzel crunch, let set, then break into pieces, like you would toffee.
notes:
* You can find malted milk powder in the aisle with powdered milk, or the baking aisle of your supermarket. This is the one I use.
** Only add salt if your pretzels aren't salty enough. Taste the mixture before baking to decide whether or not you think it needs it.
Recipe by parsley sage sweet at https://parsleysagesweet.com/2012/02/03/malted-pretzel-crunch-for-super-bowl-xlvi-sunday-and-bad-boy-love-first-love-part-two/