ladybugs

Ladybug Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 bag of small pretzels

1 16 oz. package of white vanilla candy coating or 1 -2 11 oz. packages of white chocolate chips

1 16 oz. package of chocolate candy coating or 1 11 oz. package of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

red food coloring

Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or wax paper. In a medium sized bowl, melt the white chocolate chips or candy coating. Microwave for 15 seconds and then stir and repeat until melted, be careful not to overheat the coating, it will get lumpy! Reserve 1/3 cup of white coating in a small bowl.

In the medium sized bowl, stir in a few drops of red food coloring (too much will make it bitter.) Holding the pretzel at the bottom where the head will be, dip almost all of the pretzel in the red coating and shake off the excess. Place on the lined baking sheet without touching other dipped pretzels. Dip all remaining pretzels and allow to coating to harden in refrigerator or freezer for 5 minutes.

In another small bowl, melt chocolate chips or coating for the head and spots using the above method. While holding the pretzel by the "wings" dip the "head" (bottom) into the chocolate and shake off the excess. Place on the lined baking sheet without touching other dipped pretzels. Dip all remaining pretzels. Create spots by dipping a toothpick into the chocolate and then touching it lightly on the red coating. Allow coating to harden in refrigerator or freezer for 5 minutes.

Create eyes by pouring the melted white coating (re-melt if needed) into a sandwich bag. Cut off one corner to allow a small amount of the coating to be squeezed onto the "head" as eyes. Create eyes on the remaing pretzels and alllow to harden. Then place a small dot of chocolate on the "eye" with a toothpick, repeat with remaining pretzels. Allow to harden and store in a large storage bag in the refrigerator.