Once all the M&Ms are securely in place, you have a choice. You can let the tray sit at room temperature to set, which takes about 30-45 minutes. However, if I’m impatient (which I often am), I carefully transfer the entire baking sheet to the refrigerator. The cold air firms up the chocolate in about 15 minutes. The rapid cooling gives the Hugs a delightful, firm snap. Once set, they pop right off the parchment paper. The contrast of the cool, creamy chocolate with the salty, room-temperature pretzel is absolutely perfect.
Pro Tips for Best Results
My number one tip is oven temperature. I cannot stress this enough: 200°F is the sweet spot. I’ve experimented at 250°F and even 170°F. At 250°, the Hugs melted too fast, lost their shape, and the chocolate fat separated, leaving a greasy film. At 170°, they took forever and sometimes didn’t soften evenly. Trust the 200°F for 4-5 minutes. It’s the Goldilocks zone for Hugs.
When pressing the M&M, use a straight down, then slight twist motion. Don’t just smush it. Press straight down until you feel the chocolate give, then give your wrist a tiny quarter-turn. This helps “lock” the candy in place and creates a beautiful, even spread of chocolate to the pretzel edges. It’s a tiny movement that makes them look professionally made.
If you’re making multiple batches, let your baking sheet cool completely between rounds. Placing cold pretzels and chocolate on a warm sheet will start the melting process unevenly. I keep a second sheet of parchment paper ready to go so I can just slide the finished batch off and reload the cool sheet with a fresh parchment for round two.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not, under any circumstances, try to speed up the process by using a higher oven temperature. I made this mistake during my first hurried holiday rush. At 300°F, the Hugs turned into an oily, misshapen mess within 90 seconds, and the pretzels burned on the bottom. The low, gentle heat is what allows the interior of the Hug to soften while keeping its beautiful striped structure intact.(See the next page below to continue…)