Christina Tosi

Ingredient: Pretzel

About Christina

Christina Tosi is the two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Milk Bar, with bakery locations across the country, an online care package business, and products in the aisles of the grocery store. She served as a judge on Fox’s Masterchef Junior, host of Netflix’s Bake Squad, and was featured in the hit Netflix docu-series Chef’s Table: Pastry.

Tosi started Bake Club during the early days of the pandemic as a way to bring a community of bakers together (via Instagram Live) and bake their hearts out with items that they already (probably) had in their pantry. The Bake Club Cookbook is filled Tosi’s favorite, tried-and-true recipes that she encourages her fellow ‘Bake Club Besties’ make their own and the rules are simple: no hard-to-get ingredients and no unnecessary equipment so that all the recipes are as accessible as possible.

Pretzel Swirl Brownies

Serves Makes one 8x8-inch pan, 9 squares

Pretzel Batter
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Brownie Batter
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and pan spray an 8×8-inch baking dish.
2. In a food processor, grind 2 cups of pretzels down into ¾ cups pretzel “flour.”
3. Prep the Pretzel Batter: In a large bowl, using a sturdy spatula, mix together the butter and sugars until they are fully combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg and stir until combined, about 30 seconds. Measure the ground pretzel “flour,” flour, salt, and baking powder into the mixing bowl. Toss only the dry ingredients on top together with the spatula first, before truly stirring them into the wet ingredients below. Mix all until just combined. Set aside
4. Prep the Brownie Batter: In the microwave, in a medium, heat safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips together working in 30 second spurts, stirring with a sturdy, heatsafe spatula in between blasts until smooth, about 90 seconds.
5. Switch mixing tools: whisk in the sugar, stirring until combined, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the egg and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds.
6. Measure the flour and salt into the mixing bowl. Switch back to the spatula, and toss only the dry ingredients on top together first, before truly stirring them into the wet ingredients below. Mix all until just combined.
7. Spatula some of the brownie batter, then some of the pretzel batter repeatedly into the prepared pan, so you get a brilliant mix of the two throughout. Drag a dinner knife a few times around once all batters are distributed to swirl. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Until the pretzel filling has set (the brownie batter will still have a little shine.) Cool before slicing with a plastic knife (the secret to cutting brownies without tearing them!) At room temperature covered with a lid or plastic wrap, the brownies will keep fresh for 1 week.

Pretzel Batter

2 cups mini pretzels
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder

Brownie Batter

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
⅔ cup chocolate chips
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¾ tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oven to 350°F and pan spray an 8×8-inch baking dish.
In a food processor, grind 2 cups of pretzels down into ¾ cups pretzel “flour.”
Prep the Pretzel Batter: In a large bowl, using a sturdy spatula, mix together the butter and sugars until they are fully combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg and stir until combined, about 30 seconds. Measure the ground pretzel “flour,” flour, salt, and baking powder into the mixing bowl. Toss only the dry ingredients on top together with the spatula first, before truly stirring them into the wet ingredients below. Mix all until just combined. Set aside
Prep the Brownie Batter: In the microwave, in a medium, heat safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips together working in 30 second spurts, stirring with a sturdy, heatsafe spatula in between blasts until smooth, about 90 seconds.
Switch mixing tools: whisk in the sugar, stirring until combined, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the egg and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds.
Measure the flour and salt into the mixing bowl. Switch back to the spatula, and toss only the dry ingredients on top together first, before truly stirring them into the wet ingredients below. Mix all until just combined.
Spatula some of the brownie batter, then some of the pretzel batter repeatedly into the prepared pan, so you get a brilliant mix of the two throughout. Drag a dinner knife a few times around once all batters are distributed to swirl. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Until the pretzel filling has set (the brownie batter will still have a little shine.) Cool before slicing with a plastic knife (the secret to cutting brownies without tearing them!) At room temperature covered with a lid or plastic wrap, the brownies will keep fresh for 1 week.

Mythology

It starts so humbly with yeast, warm water, and flour, but it’s pure magic how the pretzel dough rises to the occasion every time. It’s twisted into a joyful heart, boiled, baked, then dunked into bubbly cheese or spicy mustard for good measure. This little charm brings big transformation into one's life. Let’s be like the pretzel: rise up in the warmth of our homes, embrace levity, and create joy in our communities.

Shop the Pretzel collection

BTW, I know these recipes work, because they are mainstays in my home kitchen—they’re the things my fam and friends request on repeat. They are HOW and WHAT I bake at home. They’re the starting point to how I approach crafting a killer Milk Bar dessert with the team. They’re simple and they’re special.

Christina Tosi

Buy Christinas's "Bake Club Cookbook” here

#WhatsYourIngredient