Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites

Cookie dough can be one of those guilty pleasures. You know you shouldn't eat it, but there's nothing quite like the chewy sweetness of chocolate chip cookie dough.

So when I can whip some up without worrying about raw egg, I don't have to hide the half-eaten dough - I can actually dress it up a little.

And this cookie dough is dressed for a party.



Start out with about 2/3 cup of yellow cake mix. But maybe save a little extra in case you lose some on the table.




Cream together butter and sugar.




Is it weird that I think this is nice enough to frame? Because I would.




Add flour, the cake mix, and vanilla.




Now add 1 tbsp of milk at a time, mixing after each addition.




See those little clumps of gold we're starting to get?




This was after 5 tbsp. We're almost there.




This is what we want. These little doughy clumps are perfect cookie dough consistency.

Or perfect for popping into your mouth. But whatever.

Stir in the semisweet chocolate chips. I would have used minis but I used them all to make these brookies.

You could stop here and just grab some vanilla ice cream and top it with this sweet doughy goodness.




But you'd miss all the fun.




Roll dough into quarter-sized balls and press between two pretzels. Freeze for about 30 mins.

This recipe makes 50 (!) bites, so I would freeze the first 25 and then continue so that when you're done sandwiching, you're ready to continue with the first "batch".

Or freeze the first 25 and eat the rest with a spoon.




While you're waiting for the cookie dough to freeze, collect some sprinkles in a bowl.




Is there anything more fun on a dessert than colourful sprinkles?




I'm happier just looking at this bowl.




You know those people that "can't eat chocolate in the morning"? Yeah. I don't have that problem. Making these at 8am did not stop me from eating at least 27 chocolate chips.




Grab your milk chocolate chips and melt them down. Mmmmmm.




Send your frozen pretzel bites for a swim in the melted chocolate. Mmmmm, swimming in melted chocolate.




Sprinkle with sprinkles.




I found it more effective to drop the sprinkles on the melted chocolate than to dip directly into the bowl, but do whatever satisfies your sprinkle needs.




They just look fun.




This is less fun.




You have 2 choices: a) perform chocolate surgery (the best kind of surgery, obviously).




Or b) eat the broken ones.




You can see which choice I made. I do not regret it.

Yum. Broken flavour.




This is what they look like when you dip them directly into the bowl of sprinkles. This one looks like the pretzel has a scruffy beard. Tasty.




But this one is kind of normal looking.




And by normal I mean delicious.




It's a perfect blend of sweet and salty, chewy cookie dough and crunchy pretzels.




And cute, too.




A great party treat or a sweet snack to keep in the fridge.





You'll be shocked how fast 50 of these can go.

B.faB and happy baking!

Concept based on these pretzel bites; cookie dough recipe adapted from Willow Bird Baking.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup yellow cake mix 
• 1 1/2 cups flour 
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 4-8 tsp milk 
• 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips 

• pretzels 
• sprinkles 
• milk chocolate chips 

Instructions
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in salt, flour, cake mix, sprinkles, and vanilla. Add one tablespoon of milk at a time, mixing after each addition until mixture is a cookie dough consistency. Knead in mini chocolate chips.

Roll cookie dough into quarter-sized balls and sandwich between two pretzels. Place on a lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.

Melt milk chocolate chips in a bowl. Dip each pretzel bite into melted chocolate, sprinkle with sprinkles, and return to baking sheet to allow chocolate to set. Keep refrigerated until served.