Chocolate Pretzels

If you think pretzels as savouries, then think again. These are fun to make and prove that pretzels come in sweet variety, too.

Ingredients:

100 g/ 3 ½ oz/generous 1/3 cup unsalted non-dairy butter

100 g/3 ½ oz/7 tbsp castor superfine sugar

1 vegan egg

225 g/8 oz cups plain gluten free flour (optional)

25 g/1 oz/1/4 cup cocoa powder

TO FINISH

15 g/1/2 oz/1 tbsp non-dairy butter

100 g/3 ½ oz non-dairy dark chocolate

Icing (confectioners’) sugar, to dust

Method:

1.Lightly grease a baking tray (cookie sheet). Beat together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.

2.Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and gradually beat in to form a soft dough. Use your fingers to incorporate the last of the flour and bring the dough together. Chill for 15 minuets.

3.Break pieces from the dough and roll into a thin sausage shapes about 10 cm/4 inches long and 6 mm/1/4 inch thick. Twist into pretzel shapes by making a circle, then twist the ends through each other to form a letter ‘B’.

4. Place on a preheated baking (cookie sheet), slightly spaced apart to allow for spreading during cooking.

5. Bake in a preheated oven 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5, for 8-12 minuets. Leave the pretzels to cool slightly on the baking tray (cookie sheet), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan gently simmering water, stirring to combine.

7. Dip half of each pretzel into the chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the pretzels on a sheet of baking parchment and leave to set.

When set, dust the non-pretzel with icing (confectioners’) sugar before serving (optional)