Day 1: Fail-proof No Bake Cookies
I love cookbooks and I love collecting cookbooks whenever I travel.  I love looking back to specific trips as I read the cookbook, and it's so fun to try making the regional dishes I enjoyed in the area.

This recipe comes from a book solely dedicated to chocolate (how could I pass that up?) that I picked up in Vienna.  The cookies are dark and chocolaty, and just melt in your mouth.  

I had a little trouble at first forming the pretzel shape.  The dough kept crumbling as I twisted it into shape.  I tried giving the dough balls a fairly firm "squish" in my hand before rolling them out and that seemed to take care of the problem almost completely.  (If they still crack or crumble, remember that you'll be covering half of the cookie with chocolate anyway, so it's ok if they don't look perfect.)

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

• 7 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp cocoa powder

Glaze

• 1 1/2 tsp butter
• 1/2 c + 1 Tbsp dark chocolate

• Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder.  In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Mix in the egg until well combined.

Add the flour/cocoa mixture until just combined.  At this point, it will be crumbly.  Use your (well washed) hands to knead (squish) into a smooth dough.  Chill dough for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Divide dough into 30 portions.  Roll each piece into a long, thin snake (like you used to with play-dough), about 5 inches long.  *Note: Play with the length a little and see what works for you.  I found the slightly longer snakes twisted into better pretzels.


Bend the ends around to form a "U" shape (keeping it flat on your work surface), then twist/wrap/overlap the ends twice (see image).  Finish the pretzel by folding the ends back down to touch the curve.  Place on a baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough portions.

Bake cookies 8-10 minutes.  Let them cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Meanwhile, make the glaze.  In a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of boiling water, melt the chocolate and butter together.  Dip one side of the cookies into the chocolate and set onto parchment paper to cool and set.  (I made these cookies pretty late at night, so I let them sit at room temperature over night, and they were perfect in the morning.)

Using a dough scraper, a small piece of parchment paper, or something similar, cover the chocolate covered side of the cookie.  Sift powdered sugar over the opposite side.  (Make sure the chocolate is set before you do this step.)

Enjoy!
Makes 30 cookies