CHOCOLATE PRETZELS

Chocolate Pretzels image

Provided by Food Network

Yield Makes about 3 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup margarine or butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Steps:

About 2 1/2 hours before serving or early in the day
In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat all ingredients except almonds until mixture is well blended. With hands, knead until mixture forms a ball and is smooth. (chop toasted almonds: place on plate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Working with half the cookie dough, with hands, on unfloured work surface, roll 1 tablespoon of dough at a time into a 10-inch long rope. Shape rope into a loop-shaped pretzel. Gently press pretzel cookies, top side down, into chopped almonds. Place cookies, almond-side up, about 1/2-inch apart in ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake pretzels cookies, 15 minutes or until cookies begin to brown on bottoms. With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container.