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Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel Bark

Yield: 20 Servings (3 pounds)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Caramel:

  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup cream divided (you'll use half at the beginning and the other half later on)
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Other:

  • 8 ounces (227 g) pretzel twists, half of a regular 16-ounce bag
  • 12 ounces (340 g) chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate, divided
  • Sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions 

  • For the caramel, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the butter, salt, corn syrup, sugar and 1/2 cup cream. Set the pot over medium-low heat and gently melt the ingredients until the mixture is smooth and the butter is completely melted (don't rush this step by cranking up the heat).
  • Increase the heat just slightly to bring the mixture to a simmer. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and simmer on medium-low (or whatever temperature needed to maintain at a simmer without burning) without stirring until the caramel reaches 236 degrees.
  • Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup cream and again, without stirring, cook the mixture until it reaches 245-248 degrees on the candy thermometer. Off the heat, swirl in the vanilla.
  • Let the caramel rest for 10-15 minutes before using.
  • Meanwhile, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate gently in the microwave or in a double boiler until smooth (don't overheat or it will seize or bloom, which is when it gets the white, grainy streaks throughout). Spread the chocolate evenly over the parchment. Before it sets while still wet, sprinkle about 8 ounces of the pretzel twists over the top. It's ok if the pretzel twists are overlapping a bit. Gently press them into the chocolate (the caramel will act as the glue that keeps everything together).
  • Once the caramel has cooled just slightly, drizzle it across the top of all the pretzels. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips (or chopped baking chocolate, if using) over the warm caramel and let it sit until the chocolate melts (alternately, you can let the caramel harden and set and then melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the top). Once the chocolate has melted, spread lightly with a knife or thin metal spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let rest until the chocolate on top has hardened.
  • Tear or cut into pieces to give as gifts or to eat (be careful not to devour the entire batch!).

Notes

Video Tip: here's a quick video tip on tempering/melting chocolate and another on dipping things in chocolate like a pro.
Chocolate: my preferred brand of chocolate is Ghirardelli.