Pretzel Crisp Sandwiches… A Simple and Lighter Treat. Oh, and While We’re At It, Put It On a Stick.

On  occasion, I get an email or a pal saying, “Jasmin will you do something healthy for my diet?”

To wich I respond, “All of the food on my site is healthy, silly.” Right.

So here’s the thing, most of the edibles that I create are drool inducing BECA– USE it involves guilty pleasure food.

A photograph of a zucchini is pretty to look at and might make me say, “Oh yum I think I want to have some grilled zucchini for dinner,”

Zucchini, courtesy of http://www.edibleportland.com/2008/07/recipe_frittata.html

…Teehee a ducky zucchini…

Zucchini Duck, courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexgee/271321325/

… but it does not make me say,

http://www.1finecookie.com/2011/07/chili-cheese-fry-cupcakes/

Savory Pizza Cake http://www.1finecookie.com/2011/06/savory-pizza-cake/

http://www.1finecookie.com/2011/04/buy-me-some-peanut-cracker-jacks-ice-cream-without-an-ice-cream-maker/

Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese http://www.1finecookie.com/2011/05/seans-buffalo-macaroni-and-cheese-the-reason-we-live/

…”OH MY FRIGGIN’ DOROTHY I WAN’T TO EAT THAT SO BADLY  GET IN MY BELLY I ONCE ATE A BABY, THAT LOOKS SO GOOD HOW IS JASMIN NOT OBESE FROM THIS, I’M QUITTING MY JOB AND GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE THIS MINUTE WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF.”

(On a side note, the ONLY acronym that does not make me cringe is WTF, and that is because I can get away w/cussing without actually cussing. LOL, LMAO, ROTFL, TTYL, BFF, and OMG are for 12-year-olds. Let’s keep it that way. On occasion I have typed one of these obscenities because I read them too damn much. I then proceed to punish myself, by whipping my back like that dude from The Da Vinci Code. Or listen to Britney Spears while watching Eat, Pray, Love. I have yet to decide which is worse.)

That’s the reaction we like to aim for at 1 Fine Cookie. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is. That being said, I could aim to make “lite” or light treats every once in a blue moon. What I am about to show you is not “healthy.” Healthy is fruits, vegetables, lean proteins (chicken and fish), and water (there’s some other healthy stuff, but these are the basics). This is “lite.” It is a way to enjoy a dessert or appetizer that is not as fattening or heavy as some other stuff out there.

I made some little sandwiches (and I use the term ‘sandwiches’ loosely) using pretzel crisps. They are very thin and baked, and therefore have fewer calories than potato chips, tortilla chips, and pita chips.

I created a different filling for each sandwich. Some of these ingredients are not healthy, but the point is that it does less damage than a slice of cake.

Behold, my pretzel crisp sandwiches!

The first thing you need are pretzel crisps. DUH. Click on the link that to can order some of the flavors here.

If you want to find a local store that sells them, visit here.

I know that Whole Foods Sells them too. If you are looking for specific flavors, though, then I suggest simply calling or emailing them to see where they stock a specific type.

Click here for contact information.

I tend to contact many food manufacturers to track down a food that is tricky to find.

They did not pay me, so I am being honest here when I say these are REALLY delicious. They are addictive. My favorite flavors are cinnamon toast, and the garlic parmesan.

Click here to see all of their flavors.

Your welcome.

Once you get your hands on these, you will also need Neufchâtel Cheese.

Don’t be afraid!! It is almost exactly like cream cheese and can be substituted for cream cheese in any recipe. The main difference is that it is much lighter than cream cheese.

Here is a little article, if you would like to learn more about it, click here.

For the Buffalo and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

Р3 oz Neuch̢tel Cheese

– some sliced celery

- 2 tablespoons of either light mayonnaise, or even better, light sour cream (I used the mayo because  I am young, immature, and have yet to realize how important my health is)

– 1/2  cup of blue cheese

– 1/8  teaspoon of buffalo sauce (If you don’t like hot, leave it out. If you like a little buffalo kick, start off with this amount and then add more to your liking)

– buffalo wing pretzel crisps

Makes about 9-10 pretzels, depending on how much spread you use and how much celery you add.

*Looking to cut out even more fat and calories?? Add lots of celery to your spread!

Grab your ingredients, and mix into a bowl. Use a fork if you want to mash up your blue cheese. Use a spoon if you want it to stay chunky. I like to mash some up, then add more chunks of blue cheese into it afterwards.

Spread onto a buffalo wing pretzel crisp. Place another crisp on top to form a sandwich. If you like, cut out a long piece of celery and stick inside of the spread portion of the sandwich.

For the New York Everything Bagel Pretzel Crisps

My father is from Queens, and the one thing that is tough to get around here is a good bagel. We grew up eating bagels with cream cheese and lox every time we visited. This is a more refined (at least that is what I tell myself) and party or snack-friendly idea.

Р3 oz of Neuch̢tel cheese

– 1 piece of smoked salmon or lox (cured salmon) per sandwich that you are making (I bought some with cracked pepper)

–  mini tomato slices

-  fresh or dry dill (and cracked pepper, if you like. I left out because my salmon already had some)

– everything pretzel crisps

Makes about 10 sandwiches or more, depending on how much spread and the ingredients you use per sandwich.

This one is as easy as the buffalo sandwiches. Simply mix the dill (and pepper, if you like)into the Neuchâtel cheese. Then, just like  bagel, layer your sandwich. Just make sure to layer cream cheese in between each ingredient to make it all stick. I also placed a large popsicle stick in the middle because everything tastes better on a stick. Duh.

For the Jalapeño and Cheese Pretzel Crisp Sandwiches

Р3 oz of Neuch̢tel cheese

– 1 tablespoons of light sour cream or mayonnaise (begin with this amount, add more to taste)

– a few slices of jalapeño, seeds picked off (leave the seeds if you like it very very hot, don’t use jalapeño if you don’t like hot at all)

– a sprinkle of parmesan cheese

– a little less than  1/2  cup of pepper jack cheese

– green chilies (found in cans), diced

–Tuscan cheese pretzel crisps

I forgot to count how many it made, I am sorry. It was probably about 8-10, though. I can’t help it I was very moody and therefore very hungry

So all that you need to do here, is throw the ingredients into a pot and melt it together on low heat. It is up to you if you want to cook the jalapeño in, or if you want to layer them on top of the spread when constructing the sandwich.

Once melted, remove from heat then cool in the fridge until it reaches the consistency of a soft spread.

Make your sandwich, yo. I added large popsicle sticks into the middle of the spread when making my sandwiches. This is totally optional, and yes I am obsessed with food on a stick.

For the Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon Toast Pretzel Sandwiches

(woah that is a mouthful)

Р3 oz of Neuch̢tel cheese

– some sliced raspberries, strawberries, or any fruit that goes well with chocolate

–  1 tablespoon of skim milk

– 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

– 1   1/2  teaspoons of powdered sugar (I kept this to a minimal because we are going to light snacks here, people. If it doesn’t taste sweet enough to your liking then just add more)

– optional, but awesome: 1 vanilla bean

– dark chocolate, finely chopped

– cinnamon toast pretzel crisps

Mix everything together, except the raspberries. This is optional, but you can slice down the middle of a vanilla bean and use the tip of the knife to scrape/scoop out the insides into the spread.

Then layer the spread with the pretzel crisps, and slices of your favorite fruit.

Melt dark chocolate pieces in a heat-safe bowl or cup for about 20 seconds spurts, mixing in between with a spoon. Once the chocolate is melted and mixes smoothly, dip one side of the sandwich into the chocolate. Place on foil or wax paper until it sets.

Before I show you the final photos, a few tips:

-Do this in a cool room. If it is hot, then the spreads will be mushy, making it difficult to set, hold up on top of a stick, or dipping in chocolate.

-If the spreads wont firm up, place in fridge for a few minutes. Be careful about leaving in too long, or the crisps will get soggy and icky.

-If placing a stick in, follow guidelines for firming in the fridge. Again, be wary about leaving in too long.

-The sticks I used are actually crafting sticks. I used them because they are wide. You can purchase them at crafting stores. You can also find them at many other places as well. I have seen them before at a drug store. Just call the store first and ask before going.

These taste amazing, and they are very easy to make. Also, your saving a lot of calories by eating these instead of a cupcake with macaroni and cheese (which I will still eat until I develop lactose intolerance and an allergy to gluten gosh darn it).

Jalapeño and cheese pretzel crisp sandwiches

Buffalo and blue cheese pretzel crisp sandwiches

New York Everything Bagel Pretzel Crisps

…..aaaaaand my favorite photo

Chocolate dipped vanilla bean and cinnamon toast pretzel crisp sandwiches

awesome.

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