Halloween and I really shouldn’t jive. Orange is not a great color on me, I hate spiders, and you cannot pay me enough to watch a scary movie.
On the other hand, I love pumpkin, I have a weakness for candy, and I adore watching all the kids dress up in fun costumes.
I just love it. I’ve always loved it. And since having my own kids, it ranks right up there with Thanksgiving. And that’s saying a lot.
As a food blogger, woman with an insatiable sweet tooth, mother, and Halloween advocate, trying out different spooky treats is a must.
Aren’t these Witches’ Brooms great? Ya, sure, there’s a process here involving a few steps, but it’s just a bunch of baking, melting, cooling, and drizzling. Ultimately, they’re pretty easy. Not wiggle-your-nose-Bewitched-easy, but still easy. Also, once they set, they’re a cinch to transport. Like to a school. Just sayin’ ;-)
Now the question is, how do I keep myself from completely gorging on the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups that Haley can’t have, and the Almond Joys that I can’t live without? With 30 days left in our Insanity timeline, clearly it won’t be over by Trick-or-Treating. Horrible, horrible planning.
Witches’ Brooms
Makes 20 brooms
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 10 pretzel rods (about 8 1/2 inches long), cut in half crosswise
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon shortening
• 1/3 cup butterscotch chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla until blended. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into 20 (1 1/4-inch) balls.
Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheets. Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble “bristles” of broom.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown. Transfer to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons of shortening for 45 seconds, then check and stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring each time, until completely melted.
Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered.
In another microwave-safe bowl, repeat melting process with the butterscotch chips and 1/2 teaspoon shortening. Drizzle with melted butterscotch chips.
Let stand (or place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes) until chocolate is set before storing.
Note: You can make the dough ahead of time. Or you can make the brooms up to a day ahead, store in an airtight container, and then decorate when you’re ready.
(originally from Betty Crocker)
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
These are SOOOO adorable! Not too much work for something so unusual, cute and yummy!
J – thanks, J! They were fun.
Lora – AWEsome. Thanks for the feedback. I think all the steps scared people off..which is why I posted the much simpler Worms In Dirt. But I thought these were really great. I’m so glad you made them!
Just made these for the neighborhood Halloween party. Were fairly easy to do and went over well. Thanks for another great idea!!
I just love these! I’ve never been able to decide how I feel about Halloween, but I totally love these!
Kim – Barbie on a broom…a pink broom. I bet Mattel already has it in the works. The trick is to give away all the candy so there aren’t any strays sitting around the house once the holiday is over. Ya right.
Becky – As I was making them, I thought “these are so easy.” As I was typing out the details/instructions, I was actually thinking “my readers are going to want a video.” So you and I are like *this*
Lo – Me too! Pretzel and chocolate. Like peas and carrots. But clearly much much better.
Mom – Thanks!!
Great photo and clever cookie for Halloween.
And, oh dear. These are adorable. And probably tasty too. That pretzel/chocolate combo kills me every time.
This is what Halloween is all about!
I may actually try this out… hmmm, can we get a video presentation? :-)
These are too adorable. They make me want to go buy a Barbie doll and dress her up like a witch so she can fly away on one of these. And then I can eat them all and blame it on her. That’s what we grown women do down South.
I’m so proud of you and your Insanity marathon! If you can make it through Reese’s season, then you can make it through any season.
oh, it’s butterscotch! Even better.
Dad – Do they trick-or-treat on Indian reservations?
Jen – All gone. There were 12 very happy recipients yesterday, in the 4 year old range.
Jude – Peanut Butter? No. No peanut butter. But you could probably work it into the dough somehow, or have a mound on the side to dip them into. I support this.
Joanne – I know! I totally thought about that. If it had overlapped with Thanksgiving, I would have quit. Plain and simple. And the kid thing…why do you think I had two of my own? ;-)
Dude. At least Insanity didn’t fall during Thanksgiving. Now THAT would have been a tragedy.
Is it weird that part of the reason I want to have kids is so that I can go trick or treating again and eat all their candy? I hope not.
These witch’s brooms are awesome. Love the creativity.
A cookie attached to a pretzel with chocolate and peanut butter? Happy Halloween to me!
Ame, these look really yummy, and they are quite esthetically pleasing. If you haven’t given them all away, I’d like a couple. I agree with Dad; great photo too!
Witches’ brooms? I thought they were tomahawks. You realize that you coulda just stuck a pretzel into a peanut butter cup and had a Mounds Bar chaser?
Anyway, few cute, and a great photo. You captured the essence of part of the season.
Mike – Thanks! Maybe you could make these for your annual party…
Cathy – Hey, Europeans party every morning with beer in their coffee mugs. It’s here that we conceal it with a paper bag. Or is that only in my neighborhood?
Jan – Ya, like my kids need sugar. Wait, like *I* need sugar?
That should keep their energy level up….oh wait….isn’t it up enough????
Wait. It’s a mug, isn’t it? Well, same principle. ;-)
I love the pitcher you used for the photo. Fill it with some Oktoberfest beer and you’ve got a party for witches like me.
Those brooms are cool!
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