Soft Pretzel Bites

I always thought anything yeasty or slightly bread-related was beyond difficult to make. But since I grew up in our nation's Pretzel Capital, I couldn't resist trying my hand at some homemade soft pretzels! There's just something comforting about a mouth full of pretzels...

And plus, with the Super Bowl on its way, these little guys are great not-so-junk-foody snacking alternative for the big game!

Soft Pretzel Bites [click to print]
5 c. flour
2 T. brown sugar
2-1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (or 1 pkg)
2-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 c. warm water
6 T. butter, melted

3 quarts water
3/4 c. baking soda
1 egg, beaten with 1 T. cold water
Coarse salt

In large mixing bowl, fitted with dough hook, whisk together sugar, yeast, salt and flour. With mixer on low speed, slowly add water and butter. When combined, increase speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a cohesive blob and starts pulling away from the bowl and looks smooth, about 4 minutes. If the dough still looks too wet, add flour, a tablespoon at a time. Dump dough onto floured surface and knead into a ball.

Spray mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray and place dough ball in bowl. Cover with damp cloth and place in warm area for about an hour or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 475. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Heat water in large pot or roasting pan on stove. When boiling, slowly add baking soda.

Remove dough from bowl and divide into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 22 inches long and cut into 1 inch pieces. Boil dough in baking soda water in batches, about 15 pieces at a time, for 30-45 seconds. Remove with large slotted spoon and place on baking sheet being careful not to let any pieces touch. Brush top of pieces with egg mixture and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes.

I served mine with cheesy marinara sauce but cheese sauce is great, too. Or just pop em in your mouth plain!

Source: Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Sweet Sixteen: Cinnamon

This week's photo round up is all about that fragrant cinnamon spice!

Row 1: Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Apple Cinnamon Donuts, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Row 2: Apple Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, Scrumptious Baked Cinnamon Breakfast Bites, Blueberry Cinnamon Cakes, Brown Butter Ginger Cookies

Row 3: Caramel Apple Coffee Cake, Chocolate Cinnamon Date Truffles (sugar free!), Cinnamon Bark Cookies, Cinnamon Blondies

Row 4: Cinnamon Creme Brulee, Cinnamon Roll Cookies, Cinnamon White Chocolate Fudge, Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread

Quoth the Raven...

"Nevermore!"

Back in 7th grade English, we studied Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Raven. I'm not sure why exactly we spent so many weeks on it, but we did. Like all of Poe's work, it's a bit creepy and dark...perfect for Halloween! So with middle school flashbacks haunting my memory, I set out to create my The Raven, in honor of Mr. Poe himself and one of the most sugar-filled holidays of the year. Happy Halloween!

Quoth the Raven   [click to print]
Supplies Needed: 
One batch of cake ball mixture/dough (see this post if you need a refresher; I used peanut butter cake and chocolate frosting because I had it on hand, but I recommend red velvet and cream cheese frosting if you're going for creepy)
One batch of chocolate ganache (see this post for recipe)
2 small pretzel rods (not "sticks"!)
1/2 c. chocolate chips; melted, spooned into ziploc bag with corner cut off
Wax paper for work surface
Cooling Rack and Empty Cake Pan

Procedure:

• Shape two wings, using about 1/3 to 1/2 c. dough per wing. Flatten to just over 1/4 in. thick throughout with the top of the wing (where the bird's shoulder will be) forming a 90 degree angle. Wing should be about 1/2 in. shorter than length of body. Gently press wings to sides of body, lining up tip of wing where body and tail feathers join together; top of wing should be about 1/2 in. below top of body. Smooth shoulder joints to join wings to body.

• Flatten about 1 T. dough and cut two small triangles about 1-1/4 in. long and 3/8 in. wide. Line up triangles and pinch ends together to form beak. Chill in freezer for about 5 minutes.
• Roll about 1/2 to 3/4 c. dough into a round head. Carve a slot about 1/4 in. deep to fit beak; coat thinly with melted chocolate. Remove beak from freezer and carefully insert into slot. Line head up with top of body. Place strip of dough at head and neck seam; smooth to join together. Place bird in freezer while you do next step.

• Dip two small pretzel rods in melted chocolate and allow to set. Pipe two bird feet on wax paper and all to set. When legs and feet are firm, pipe blob of melted chocolate on base of feet, attach to legs and allow to set until firm. Carve two round slots about 1/2 in. deep near bottom of body for legs; squeeze small amount of melted chocolate into slots and insert legs. Chill in freezer about 15 minutes.
• Remove bird from freezer. Transfer bird from wax paper to a cooling rack set over dish or cake pan; this is your glazing station. If ganache has hardened at this point, microwave at 15 second intervals until it's about the consistency of warm syrup. Carefully spoon ganache over entire bird. While ganache is still warm, use a toothpick to smooth and remove excess ganache from around wings and beak. Chill about 15 minutes or until ganache is set.

Source: Inspired by PhotoBasement