These pretzels with Hershey's Kisses and M&M candies might be America's most popular Christmas treat at the moment. It seems every momma in the country is making them this week.
We always use Hugs, which are the cute stripey white chocolate variety of kisses. You can make these with chocolate kisses, too!
Everyone loves Pretzels with Hershey's kisses and can't get enough! That comes as no surprise because once you pop one in your mouth, it is nearly impossible to stop. They are the ultimate sweet/salty treat we crave, and bite-size to boot! Who's counting?
About this time last year, there was a complete absence of the usual waffle-type pretzel squares on grocery shelves when I began my search. (I'm always and forever running behind.) It was time to get creative! I found holiday pretzels in three festive shapes that worked beautifully, and I think I might love them even more than square ones. There's no stopping a pretzel hug whose time has come!
If you have young children in the home, you know the kids are so full of energy and excitement that they can hardly stand it! This is a treat you can make right now with their help!
The most time-consuming part of this little pretzel hugs "recipe" is unwrapping all the Hershey's Hugs and sorting through the pretzels to find the unbroken ones. Those quick little hands are made for this task!
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Next, you'll need to line the pretzels up like little soldiers on a parchment-covered baking sheet, a great activity for little hands. Then, center an unwrapped hug on each pretzel and stick them in a 250-degree oven for about 5 minutes, just enough so the Hug begins to melt- watch closely; it happens fast!
The Hug takes on a shiny appearance, and the tip begins to lose its point; that's when you know it's time to remove them from the oven! Please keep a close eye on them; every oven is different. They need to retain their kiss shape for the best results.
While the Hug is still soft, carefully place an M&M candy on each one. This year, my youngest granddaughter helped me make them, and she has such steady hands! She even placed each M&M candy face down (sorry, Mars Candy company) and perfectly dead center on every single pretzel with Hershey's kisses!
Now is when the hard part happens, waiting for the candy to get firm enough to take the pretzel hugs off the sheet! I had a leftover bag of holiday M&Ms from last year, so I used them, but I love how my artist friend Mary makes them with ALL the bright and beautiful colors!!
I'm a grandma (that's how I got the name GB) now, and all six of our grandkids are well on their way to adulthood, but I remember those precious days when our house was teeming with life and how excited everyone was.
PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
A quick and easy last-minute sweet and salty treat with just three ingredients.
I have never done this, and I have never seen it done, but I did see it on a post, and I think some people, like my chocoholic mom and brother, would like them a lot!
White chocolate melts the fastest, and milk chocolate or dark chocolate takes a wee bit longer. You can use any kind of Hershey's Kisses you like! Therefore, I can't offer a precise baking time; just keep an eye on them and watch for that magic moment when the Hug takes on a shiny appearance, and the tip begins to lose its point! 💖
Here are a couple of more treats you can make at the last minute and I think they're both amazing! Best Easy Chocolate Chex Crunch and Easy Sugar Cookie Bars!
What I have learned, ever so slowly, is that these simple little things last longer in our minds than a home so perfectly done it looks like a Hallmark movie. Have some fun, make a mess, make some pretzels with Hershey's kisses, and make some memories.
In all the hustle and bustle, please remember the one true reason we celebrate this holiday: find time to slow down and enjoy some meaningful time with your loved ones. Christmas is a gift and was never meant to be a burden!
If you liked this recipe, you are my people! If you like this recipe, please share it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! It would sure tickle me, and I would be ever so grateful!
If you haven't already, please look for me on Facebook and Pinterest, where I will share easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes every week!
Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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