5Church and Hannah Neikirk's The Pretzel Bar

Hannah Neikirk is the Pastry Chef for award winning restaurants 5Church and Nan and Byrons. In 2010 she received an associate degree in baking/pastry arts from Hyde Park, NY prestigious Culinary Institute of America. Chef Patrick OConnells 5 star/5 diamond Inn at Little Washington was her first pastry cook job. To diversify she moved in 2011 to Vail, Colorado and worked as sous pastry chef primarily at the Vail Village Sweet Basil restaurant where she created desserts for the après ski crowd. She and her cat Max reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Pretzel Shortbread Layer

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup or 1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup powdered Sugar
1 ¼ c all purpose Flour
1 ¾ c pretzels, ground fine
Heavy Cream

METHOD:
Mix butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy and pale in color. Add all purpose flour and ground pretzels and mix until combined, add heavy cream and mix until dough comes together and light and fluffy. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes.

Milk Chocolate Toffee Fuilletine

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup milk chocolate (high quality)
1 ½ cup feuilletine (found online or
specialty food stores)
1 teaspoon butter
½ cup pretzels, ground fine
¼ c toffee butter

METHOD:
Melt milk chocolate, butter and toffee butter in a medium sized bowl over a pot of simmering water . Once melted add feuilletine and pretzels. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roll until flat and chill, once set put on top of toffee butter/shortbread layer.

Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Ganache

INGREDIENTS:
¼ c corn syrup
1 ¾ c cream
¾ c sugar
¼ c vanilla extract
1 c milk chocolate
¼ c cream
2 Tblspn butter

METHOD:
Place the sugar in a small sauce pan. Allow to melt and caramelize, swirling the pan occasionally so it cooks until nutty brown. In a separate pot bring the cream, vanilla and corn syrup to a boil. Remove the cream from heat. When the sugar has carmelized whisk in the cream mix and allow to cook back to 230 F, checking the temperature with a candy thermometer. Add the milk chocolate, butter and cream. Pour on top fuilletine layer and allow to set.