Festive Pretzel Rods

Ingredients

•  1 cup colored sprinkles or jimmies
• 1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (can use milk chocolate if you prefer)
• Pretzel rods (I used Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Rods)

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet or large platter with waxed paper. Set aside. Pour sprinkles into a 9-inch square baking dish.
2. Pour half the bag of chocolate chips into a glass bowl, and microwave for 33 seconds. Stir, and microwave another 20 seconds if not melted. Stir again and microwave another 9 seconds if not melted. Repeat another 9 seconds if needed. (Chocolate chips keep their shape even when melted, so you must stir to check. It is better to continue heating at 9-second intervals than to scorch them.)
3. Hold a pretzel rod with one hand, and, using a small offset spatula or a spoon or butter knife in the other hand, scoop and spread the chocolate up the rod, leaving a portion uncovered for the “handle’ area. You want a light coating – just enough to adhere the sprinkles. Scrape the excess chocolate back into the bowl.
4. Immediately roll the pretzel rod in the sprinkles, using your hand to sprinkle additional sprinkles until all chocolate is coated. Set rod on the waxed paper sheet. ^[2]
5. Continue making rods until you have as many as you want, laying them side by side when done, not touching. A half bag of chocolate chips will cover 15ish (maybe more) rods, depending on how heavily you apply the chocolate. If you need more chocolate, simply add more chips to the bowl and heat as you did before, in small increments, until melted, stirring as you go.
6.  ^[3]Allow coated rods to dry for at least 1 hour. When they are dry, the chocolate will have hardened again, and the sprinkles will be firmly stuck. Once they are dry, the rods can be carefully stacked for storage if needed.
7. Store in a covered container at room temperature.
8. For serving, count on 1 rod per person.

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