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1
Pour the salty caramel into the crust.
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2
Return it to the fridge to set for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
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3
Heat the oven to 300F.
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4
Spread the pretzels out on a sheet pan and toast for 20 minutes, or until they have slightly darkened in color and the kitchen smells pretzely.
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5
Set aside to cool.
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6
Fetch the pie from the fridge and cover the face of the hardened caramel with the nougat.
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7
Use the palms of your hands to press down and smooth the nougat into an even layer.
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8
Return the pie to the fridge and let the nougat firm up for 1 hour.
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9
Make a chocolate glaze by combining the chocolates and the oil in a microwave-safe bowl and gently melting them on medium in 30-second increments, stirring between blasts.
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10
Once the chocolate is melted, whisk the mixture until smooth and shiny.
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11
Use the glaze the same day, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
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12
Finish that pie: Remove it from the refrigerator and, using a pastry brush, paint a thin layer of the chocolate glaze over the nougat, covering it completely.
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13
(If the glaze has firmed up, gently warm it so it is easy to paint on the pie.)
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14
Arrange the pretzels evenly around the edges of the pie.
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15
Use the pastry brush to paint the remaining chocolate glaze in a thin layer over the pretzels, sealing their freshness and flavor.
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16
Put the pie in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to set the chocolate.
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17
Wrapped in plastic, the pie will keep fresh in the fridge for 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months; defrost before serving.
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18
Cut the pie into 8 slices, using the pretzels as your guide: each slice should have a whole pretzel on it.
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19
In this recipe, we make a chocolate glaze for the top of the pie using dark chocolate, white chocolate, and oil.
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20
I like to refer to it as cleverly avoiding tempering chocolate, which is a fussy, somewhat temperamental way of structuring chocolate so that it sets with a shiny, crisp coat.
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21
But stirring oil into melted chocolate allows us to glaze the top of the pie with a brush and set it in the refrigerator.
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22
The chocolate still has a nice, thin crispness while maintaining a certain malleability, ensuring a clean cut down through the many layers of the pie.
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23
Toasting pretzels deepens their flavor significantly.
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24
Note that the nougat must be made within 5 or 10 minutes of when you want to press it into the pie.
