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It feels like I’ve just finished emptying the kid’s backpacks from last year, and here we are filling them up again with fresh school supplies! I love summer vacation so much – filled with surprise day trips, endless nights catching fireflies and sleeping in – but I also really love the back to school season. There’s so much excitement to be had in seeing old friends again, meeting new teachers and breaking out new school supplies!
I try to really get into the back to school season and share in the kid’s happy anticipation of the new school year. This year is a big one for us because my oldest son is leaving his younger brothers behind in the elementary school they know and love, and heading off to middle school on his own. He’s nervous to say the least – although maybe not as much as I am!
I’ve been working really hard to find little ways to reassure him through those first weeks when everything is new and unfamiliar. Lunch is my time to shine here – I’ve always seen the inside of a lunchbox as the perfect canvas for adding a special touch to someone’s day, and I’m so excited to partner with Snyder’s of Hanover® to show you how our lunches are Packed With Love to make them extra special as we head back to school.
Snyder’s Pretzels have been a staple in our pantry since my boys were toddlers, and now they’re a lunch box staple as well. A little history here – Snyder’s has been baking pretzels since 1909 – and if there’s any brand you can trust to provide great quality and simple ingredients it’s one that’s been in the pretzel business for over 100 years! I love their wholesome approach to snacking – and the Snyder’s of Hanover Multi Pack is perfect for packing a lunch with love. These pretzels are perfectly portioned into ten 100 calorie bags and made with unbleached wheat flour in a peanut free facility, making them healthy for kids and safe for everyone! And you can grab them just about anywhere – like on a trip to Walmart, where you’ll find a pretzel snack and flavor for everyone in the family!
One of my favorite snack “hacks” is to hang a shoe organizer on the pantry door and load it up with healthy snacks. This makes filling lunch boxes a breeze, and makes it easy for the kids to grab a delicious snack any time they’re home!
And of course I love to make special treats to fill up our lunch boxes with – something that I know will really make the kids smile when they crack open that lunchbox. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bark is one of their favorite salty & sweet treats (I’ve never met a person who doesn’t love this pretzel bark!) that will be making a lunchtime appearance on the first week of school.
I love this recipe because it’s really easy to make, and I am LOVING the NEW Snyder’s of Hanover Itty Bitty Mini Pretzels. They are the perfect size for tiny hands and for making really good pretzel bark. Look at how perfectly snack sized these pretzels are!
Their small size makes them perfect for a pretzel bark because you get that amazing chocolate to pretzel ratio! We made this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bark all the time, and used the Itty Bitty Mini Pretzels for a summer party we hosted – everyone raved that it was the best bark we’d ever made. You can use any pretzels, but you need to try this recipe with Itty Bitty Minis! Of course, you can always omit the peanut butter and make this bark simply using chocolate – or even drizzle it with while chocolate!
Ingredients:
- 24 oz Chocolate Chips
- Snyder’s Itty Bitty Mini Pretzels
- 3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
- 10 oz Peanut Butter Chips
Instructions:
First, line a 9X13 in. baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Melt the chocolate chips – you can do this over a double boiler, but I tend to use my microwave to make things a little faster. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Give them a really good stir, then continue to microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring really well in between, until all the chocolate is melted. You don’t want to overheat the chocolate and stirring them well in the secret to smooth chocolate.
Pour the melted chocolate into your prepared baking pan and smooth it out to cover the pan evenly.
Drop your peanut butter on to the melted chocolate and use a knife to swirl it throughout the pan leaving streaks of peanut buttery goodness throughout the chocolate. Resist the urge to eat warm, gooey peanut butter chocolate – I promise this is going to get even better!
Sprinkle Snyder’s Itty Bitty Mini Pretzels over the top of the chocolate. Make sure to press them down into the melted chocolate so that they will stick once it’s hardened.
Stick the entire pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes – make sure to keep the pan perfectly flat. You’ll want to allow it to cool until all of the chocolate is solid.
Place the peanut butter chips into a small bowl and heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Continue heating and stirring at 15 second intervals, being careful not to overheat them, until the chips are melted and smooth.
Remove the tray from the refrigerator and drizzle the peanut butter chips over the chocolate and pretzels. You can get fancy and use a pastry bag, but I prefer to just use a fork dipped in the peanut butter chips because at this point my mouth is watering and I just want to eat this entire tray!
Stick the tray back in the fridge and allow it to cool once again.
Once everything is nice and solid remove the parchment paper from the tray and lay it on a flat surface. Using a sharp knife break the bark into pieces and hope to get it onto the table before everyone swarms the counter! You can serve it immediately, or store it covered in a cool place for packing lunches throughout the week.
This pretzel bark is always a huge hit with the kids! I make it as a special after school snack, or tuck a piece into their lunch box for a salty-sweet treat at school! I’ve had friends come over for play dates and specifically request the chocolate pretzel dessert my boys bring in to lunch – luckily this is a breeze to make so I can always whip up a last minute batch!
When you’re out shopping for Snyder’s Products to fill up your lunch boxes or make delicious pretzel bark, keep an eye on your weekly circular for a chance to save $1.00 on any 2 on Snyder’s of Hanover® products 5oz or larger from 7/29/18 to 9/30/18!
And from now until August 26th you can win a lunch box full of amazing prizes in the Back To School Mega Event Sweepstakes! The grand prize winner will snag a $2500 scholarship, while other weekly prizes will include laptops, tablets, gift cards and other awesome swag to start the year right!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. LIMIT ONE (1) PRIZE PER PERSON. The Sweepstakes begins 7/16/18 at 12:00:01 AM ET and ends 8/26/18 at 11:59:59 PM ET. Open only to eligible legal 50 US/DC residents who are 18 years or older and the age of majority. Subject to Official Rules available at www.bettersnackingforyou.com. See Official Rules for daily entry instructions, odds of winning, prize details, restrictions, etc. There are ninety (90) prizes available. The total approximate retail value of all prizes to be awarded is $23,238. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Sponsor: S-L Snacks National, LLC, 13515 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Charlotte, NC 28277. Administrator: US Sweepstakes & Fulfillment Co., 625 Panorama Trail, Suite 2100, Rochester, NY 14625.
So kick off the Back to School season with a delicious and healthy snack – and drop a comment to let me know how you pack your lunch boxes with love each year!
- 24 oz Chocolate Chips
- Snyder’s Itty Bitty Mini Pretzels
- 3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
- 10 oz Peanut Butter Chips
- Line a 9X13 in. baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate chips – you can do this over a double boiler, but I tend to use my microwave to make things a little faster. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Give them a really good stir, then continue to microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring really well in between, until all the chocolate is melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate into your prepared baking pan and smooth it out to cover the pan evenly.
- Drop your peanut butter on to the melted chocolate and use a knife to swirl it throughout the pan leaving swirls of peanut butter through the chocolate.
- Sprinkle Snyder’s Itty Bitty Mini Pretzels over the top of the chocolate. Make sure to press them down into the melted chocolate so that they will stick once it’s hardened.
- Stick the entire pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes – make sure to keep the pan perfectly flat. You’ll want to allow it to cool until all of the chocolate is solid.
- Place the peanut butter chips into a small bowl and heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Continue heating and stirring at 15 second intervals, being careful not to overheat them, until the chips are melted and smooth.
- Remove the tray from the refrigerator and drizzle the peanut butter chips over the chocolate and pretzels.
- Stick the tray back in the fridge and allow it to cool once again.
- Once everything is nice and solid remove the parchment paper from the tray and lay it on a flat surface. Using a sharp knife break the bark into pieces.
- Serve immediately, or store covered for up to a week.
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