Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Hot Pretzel

Ever in the mood for a nice warm, soft, delicious, melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookie?

Ever crave a big, yeasty, sweet hot pretzel?

Now you can have both!

This chocolate chip cookie stuffed hot pretzel (a mouth full in both respects!) satisfies both of these cravings beautifully! It also looks impressively difficult to make, but I'll let you in on a little secret- it's not! There are only three basic steps to making these yummy desserts:

1. Cookie dough
2. Pretzel dough
3. Mixing the two!

These pretzels do not disappoint, earning compliments from people of all ages- go ahead and make them, let me know how it goes!

• Measuring cups
• Bowl for mixing + spatula OR stand mixer
• Oven

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 4 ½ - 5 cups flour
• 1 egg beaten

1. Mix the water, sugar, yeast, and butter with dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and 4 ½ cups flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and continue until smooth and begins to pull away from sides of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If dough is too wet, add flour by the tablespoon.
3. Remove from the bowl and roll into a ball. Spray a bowl, place the dough in it. Cover with a towel/plastic for one hour until dough doubles in size.

10 minutes before it’s ready, begin preparing the cookie dough.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

1. Beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy, about 4 minutes.
2. Beat in eggs.
3. Gradually add dry ingredients then add the chocolate chips.

It's time to combine both elements of the dessert into one:

1. First preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Divide the pretzel dough into 8 equal balls and roll each out into long rectangles.
3. Spread cookie dough along each piece.
4. Starting with the opposite side, roll the dough up into a log, enclosing the toppings inside. Pinch the seams together and then very gently roll the dough with your hands to form an even cylinder and fully enclose the filling.
5. Take the two ends of each rope and form into a circle that is overlapped by a couple of inches of dough on either side, twist the ends and lay over the opposite side to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends under the pretzel to seal.
6. Fill a bowl with warm water and 2 teaspoons baking soda. Dip each pretzel in it and then place on parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Brush with egg wash and season with sea salt OR like I did, with brown sugar!

Bake for 15 minutes, until very lightly golden and the cookies that have oozed out are golden.

Letting them cool is recommended, however one may need to taste a small piece to make sure they are fully baked and ready :)