Witches' Brooms

By á-51

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 10 pretzel rods, about 8 1/2 inches long, cut crosswise in half
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Butterscotch-flavored chips, melted

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into twenty 1 1/4-inch balls.
2 Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheet. Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble "bristles" of broom.
3 Bake about 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes.
4 Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper. Heat shortening and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth; remove from heat. Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered. Drizzle with melted butterscotch chips. Let stand until chocolate is set.