Chocolate, Praliné, Cookies & Pretzel Bites

Okay, I made a serious mistake. I created a snack that’s impossible to stop eating, and it’s currently living in our enchanting little Parisian apartment. Which means there’s been a lot of running happening around here lately. 🙂

A few weeks ago, we celebrated our birthdays together. It was a joyful and moving day, even as the winds of war were already hovering over all of us. The day after the birthday, two of our most wonderful touring guests came to visit, Avihai and Lee. I love them so much. Our tours always feel like catching up with dear friends, and when they end, I find myself already looking forward to the next time.

On this particular tour, they brought us a bag filled with all kinds of classic Israeli childhood snacks: a big bag of Tortit, loads of Twist for Mamush (and really, how do people eat that thing?), and Taami for me. Alongside the classics, they also brought a new variation of Taami so we could try it and see if we liked it.

Of course, I immediately inspected the new acquisition. Taami X: a milk chocolate snack with pretzels, cookies, and hazelnut cream. After making a (small) mistake and opening it, I told myself and our guests that it was a good thing they’d only brought 2 units to try, because it was absolutely delicious.

But then I made the real mistake. I decided to recreate the snack at home, using the same flavor profile but with seriously high-quality chocolate, homemade praliné, crumbled vanilla shortbread baked from scratch, and Alsatian pretzels. What can I say, I’m paying for it with many, many runs. Don’t ask.

This snack is wonderful for days like these, and you can easily make a big batch to share with family and friends in those moments when everyone needs something sweet and crunchy to bring a little comfort.

Chocolate, Praliné, Cookies & Pretzel Bites

Ingredients
Vanilla Shortbread:
100g butter
50g sugar
150g flour
3g vanilla powder (half a teaspoon, optional)
5g fleur de sel or a pinch of regular salt

For assembling the snack:
200g dark chocolate, chopped
100g milk chocolate, chopped
100g white chocolate, chopped
150g praliné spread, recipe inside
200g vanilla shortbread cubes
50g pretzels, roughly chopped

Preparation
1. Vanilla Shortbread: In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light. Add the flour and salt and mix until a smooth dough forms. You can also make this in a food processor; it’s quick and efficient.
2. Press the dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper into an even layer (I use a 20×20 cm pan).
3. Prick the dough all over with a fork so it doesn’t puff up during baking, then refrigerate for two hours.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the dough is set and lightly golden.
5. Once cooled, cut into medium-sized cubes.
6. For assembling the snack: Melt all three chocolates together over a double boiler until completely smooth.
7. Remove from the heat, add the praliné spread, and stir until fully combined.
8. Add the shortbread cubes and chopped pretzels and fold until everything is coated in the chocolate praliné mixture.
9. Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined tray and spread it out evenly (I use a 17×24 cm pan).
10. Refrigerate for one hour, then remove and cut into pieces of whatever size you like.
*These keep in the fridge for at least a week, though after a few hours, they’ll probably already be gone.

May these be quieter days 🙏🏻
Sharon