Witches’ Brooms

• 1/2 cups Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cups Butter Or Margarine, Softened
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/8 teaspoons Salt
• 10 whole Pretzel Rods (about 8 1/2 Inches Long), Cut In Half Crosswise
• 2/3 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 2-1/2 teaspoons Shortening, Divided
• 1/3 cups Butterscotch Chips

1. Note: These fall somewhere in between Easy and Intermediate. They're actually really easy, but involve several steps. You can make the brooms up to a day ahead, store in an airtight container, and then decorate when you're ready.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. In a medium bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla until blended. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into 20 (1 1/4-inch) balls.
4. Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheets. Press a ball of dough onto the cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with a fork to resemble the "bristles" of a broom.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown. Transfer to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper.
6. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons of shortening for 45 seconds, then check and stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring each time, until completely melted.
7. Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at the top of the pretzel handle and the bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered.
8. In another microwave-safe bowl, repeat melting process with the butterscotch chips and remaining 1/2 teaspoon shortening. Drizzle with melted butterscotch chips.
9. Let stand (or place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes) until chocolate is set before storing.

brown sugar, butter, water, vanilla, allpurpose, salt, chocolate chips, shortening, butterscotch chips

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/holidays/witchese28099-brooms/ (may not work)