Devin Alexander’s Chocolate-Glazed Soft Pretzel Bites with Chocolate “Fudge” Sauce

The chocolate sauce in this recipe is Devin's favorite way to satisfy chocolate cravings: an all-natural topper that contains only 45 calories per serving

Devin’s tips for the pretzels: Adding a sprinkle of sea salt to chocolate has emerged as a trend in recent years. And it doesn’t surprise me—it’s such a delicious way to satisfy sweet and salty cravings at once.
Whole wheat pizza dough provides a great base for these everyone-friendly bites topped with a mouth­watering glaze. Though it might be tempting to make extra pretzels in order to have leftovers, pretzels are really best eaten the same day, so be sure not to overdo it!

This recipe makes 16 pretzels / 4 servings.

Chef’s note: the recipe uses whole wheat pre-made pizza dough which can be found at your supermarket.

Pretzel Ingredients:
2 tablespoons baking soda
8 ounces whole wheat pizza dough (no more than 3 grams of fat per 2-ounce serving), fresh or frozen and defrosted
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Chocolate “Fudge” Sauce (see below)
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add enough water to a large soup pot so it’s one-quarter full. Add the baking soda. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into 2 equal portions.
Remove one of the portions to a cutting board. Roll the dough into a 20"-long rope. Cut the rope into 8 equal pieces. Repeat the process with the remaining dough, leaving you with 16 dough pieces.
Add the pieces to the water in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, and boil them for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they float. Using a slotted spoon to drain off any excess water, remove the boiled dough pieces to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, so they do not touch.
Bake the pretzels for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Let them cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then spread 1/4 teaspoon fudge sauce over the top of each pretzel bite. Sprinkle each with a few crystals of salt, or to taste.
Arrange them on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Nutritional information per serving (4 pretzels): 144 calories, 4 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates (4 g sugar), 2 g fat, trace saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 127 sodium

Devin’s tips for the “Fudge Sauce”: I consider this recipe more necessary than almost any other in this book. Everyone who knows me knows that even though I’ve lost more than 55 pounds and maintained that loss for close to 20 years, I eat chocolate every day! This is my new favorite way to satisfy my chocolate cravings—an all-natural topper that contains only 45 calories per serving.

“Fudge Sauce” Ingredients:
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
Add the agave and cocoa powder to a medium resealable plastic container (a round one will be easiest to mix in). Using a sturdy whisk, mix until well combined and no lumps remain from the cocoa powder. Allow it to sit a few hours before using (it will taste fine immediately, but it thickens into a more fudge-like sauce over time).

This recipe makes 3/4 cup

Nutritional info per serving (1 tablespoon): 45 calories, trace protein, 12 g carbohydrates (11 g sugar), trace fat, trace saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, <1 g fiber, trace sodium

Devin travels the country lecturing and consulting for major U.S. food and cookware companies. She’s on the Advisory Board of the American Culinary Federation’s Chef Child Foundation, Larry King Foundation’s Go-To-Chef to speak on “Obesity in America”, she recently returned from the White House as part of Michelle Obama’s, Chefs Move To Schools Program; and we are proud to have her as a contributor to SupermarketGuru.com - you can find her recipes and tips every Tuesday and visit her atwww.devinalexander.com.

Reprinted from THE BIGGEST LOSER COOKBOOK by Chef Devin Alexander and The Biggest Loser Experts and Cast. © 2006 by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP, The Biggest Loser and NBC Studios, Inc., and Reveille LLC. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098.