(disclosure: as co-founder of blog brulee i was compensated by ALDI for their sponsorship of the event. all opinions are my own.)
so there i was, a single girl on a bicycle, alone in the middle of a tiny german town on the edge of an asparagus field. I didn’t speak the language and didn’t know anyone for miles.
bewilderment must have encompassed my face as I pedaled up to the grocery store. a kind stranger approached and handed me a quarter-sized token. through a familiar game of “you-don’t-speak-my- language” charades, he showed me how to use the token to unlock the shopping cart. and off i went to purchase as many of the weeks groceries as i could safely balance while operating a bike home.
this was my first, sweet memory of shopping at ALDI. this one goes way back to the days of trans-atlantic dating the man i’ve now called husband for a good long while. his assignments in germany allowed me lots of ALDI experiences overseas, especially after we were married and i got to call heidelberg home for a stint.
i am thrilled to report ALDI is back in my life, stateside, and here to stay. this store was made with the shopper in mind, passing on savings you wouldn’t believe, and putting quality and nutrition first.
to help you save money, ALDI stores are 90% ALDI exclusive brands, which are manufactured by leading food producers. because of this and other smart strategies, they can save you up to 50% on your grocery bill!
the effort ALDI has made to provide healthy foods is unlike anything ive seen from another grocery chain. they have removed added MSG, certified synthetic colors and partially hydrogenated oils from all of their exclusive brand food products. and at ALDI, i am always pleased to see organic produce options. Their SimplyNature line has all kinds of organic products, too!
of course, i’m most thrilled about their liveGfree line their exclusive gluten-free brand. everything from baking mixes, snack bars, crackers, cookies, pizza, pasta, cereal, and more which I can say from experience are the same or even better than the pricier name brand products at other stores.
as we approach the holidays where home-cooking abounds, ALDI is hands-down the place to go to fill your pantries and stock your fridges with healthy ingredients and gluten-free staples. oh, and their award-winning wine selection is an absolute must for your holiday parties! you’ll thank me for that one, alone.
my son single-handedly could have cleared the entire plate of this snickerdoodle pecan pretzel tart. it is made entirely with products easily found at ALDI. the liveGfree snickerdoodle soft baked cookies crumble into a perfect crust. the liveGfree pretzel sticks and twists add a deliciously salty crunch to the top of the classic pecan filling. save a spot for this one on your holiday dessert table
and find your way to your nearest ALDI. don’t fret if you haven’t seen one yet they are in the midst of a five-year, 650 store expansion by the end of 2018.
consider me the friendly face showing you how to use your quarter to unlock your cart and ushering you in for your first ALDI experience (minus the fact that we both speak english!). i know you’ll love it, too!
#GF snickerdoodle pecan pretzel tart combines sweet & salty to upgrade a holiday favorite #ad Click To Tweet
Snickerdoodle Pecan Pretzel Tart
Ingredients
- 1 6-ounce packages liveGfree Snickerdoodle Soft Baked Cookies
- 1/2 cup Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/4 cup SimplyNature Organic Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Goldhen Large Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter
- 1 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Pure Vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Iodized Salt
- 2 cups Southern Grove Pecan Halves
- 1/2 cup coarsely crushed liveGfree Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place cookies in the container of a food processor or blender; pulse until fully crumbled.
- Press crumbs into a 14-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom, or a 9-inch round tart with a removable bottom.
- Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, boil maple syrup in a small saucepan for 3-4 minutes or until reduced by a third. Syrup should measure 1/3 cup. Allow to cool slightly.
- Combine brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, salt, and cooled maple syrup in a medium bowl. Stir in pecan halves.
- Pour mixture over cookie crust, reserving about a cup of liquid.
- Sprinkle crushed pretzels down center of pecan mixture. Pour reserved cup filling liquid on top of pretzels.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until middle is set and doesn't jiggle when moved.
- Allow tart to cool fully before cutting.
