Bavarian Pretzels

Making Bavarian Pretzels has become my entire personality this winter. I cannot get enough. My love for pretzels paired with a rich stone ground mustard runs real deep. And my soul is lit on fire with that doughy interior, crispy exterior, version of a dopamine hit.

The pretzels are best straight out of the oven. If not serving right away, be sure to let cool on a wire rack so moisture doesn’t get trapped.

Be sure to play around with the toppings. Rosemary, japapeno and cheddar, pepperoni and mozzarella, cinnamon sugar… options are endless!

Bavarian Pretzel Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ c. warm water
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp kosher sea salt
  • 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
  • 4 ½ c. all-purpose flour
  • ¼ c. salted butter, melted
  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 quarts water
  • ⅔ c. baking soda
  • 1 egg york + 1 Tbsp water
  • Pretzel salt

Directions

  • In mixer, pour warm water over brown sugar and sea salt. Sprinkle yeast over top and let it sit until bubbly (approx 10 minutes)
  • Add flour and butter. With dough hook mix until dough comes away from bowl (approx 4 minutes)
  • Form dough into ball and place back in bowl, lightly coated with oil. Cover and let rise in warm spot for an hour or dbl’d in size.
  • After dough has risen, preheat oven to 450, and bring water & baking soda to a boil in a pot on stove.
  • Turn dough onto lightly oiled surface and divide into 8-12 portions. Roll one portion into long snake, bring ends up, twist twice, bring down toward bottom and secure under. Repeat.
  • Place pretzels in boiling water for 30 seconds, place on parchment covered pan, brush with egg/water mix.
  • Sprinkle with salt, or any other fun ingredients.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes.
  • Enjoy!

I am learning a few tricks as I go, so I will be sure to add those tips to this post as my skills continue to develop:

  • Eat fresh day of.
  • If storing, be sure to cool completely on wire rack and store in air-tight container for one day.
  • If storing more than one day, put them in freezer bag and pop in freezer.
  • Whether eating next day, or multiple days out from freezer, always reheat in oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Brush with a little water on top then pop in oven.
  • If making for later, hold off on adding salt until your reheat. The salt dissolves with added moisture from freezer.

Cheers!

Salted S’more Truffles

Marshmallows and I go together like PB & J. Ketchup & Mustard. Pancakes & Syrup. Basically, it’s true love and a match made in heaven, if I do so say so myself.

Give me all the marshmallows.

Enter, Smore Truffles for a little bite-size mallow treat!

INGREDIENTS

1 pack graham crackers, crushed

1 standard size jar marshmallow fluff

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

5 Hershey Bars

Pinch of Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS

Crush graham crackers until fine.

Add mallow fluff + chocolate chips

Roll into Tbsp. size balls and freeze for 15 minutes

Melt chocolate bars in microwave in 30 second increments

Dip mallow bites into chocolate, sprinkle with crushed graham crackers + Sea Salt

Chill until set

Enjoy!

Salted Pretzel Cowboy Cookies

Pretzels, m&m’s, oatmeal, cinnamon and coconut is a combination I was happy to dive face first in. Thanks to Half Baked Harvest’s recipe as the baseline, with a few twists of my own, these little nuggets of love hit the sweet and salty spot.

Other then my pretzel presentation that is no-where near Tieghan’s masterpiece, I’d say these turned out quite perfect.

Enjoy!

Salted Pretzel Cowboy Cookies

  • 2 sticks salted butter, softened
  • 3/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temp.
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup m&m’s (can just add more chocolate chips if you desire)
  • 1 cup pretzels, crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs then add the vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, cinnamon (if using), baking soda, and salt. Fold in the oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and m&m’s.
  3. Use a cookie scoop, or roll the dough into rounded 2 tablespoon size balls and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Push a few crushed pretzel pieces into each dough ball then slightly flatten the dough ball down with the palm of your hand.
  4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 9 minutes. (Note: the OG recipe has you bake the cookies for 5 minutes, remove from oven, tap pan on counter to flatten down, return to oven to bake an additional 4 minutes).
  5. Eat warm (definitely highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container. 

Cheers!

Andes Mint and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Using the same cookie dough foundation previously published here, I made a few edits to accommodate an inviting wintery flavor.

ANDES MINT & CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

prep time: 15 MINUTES

cook time: 6-8 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon mint extract
  • Chopped Andes Mints
  • Milk Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside.
  3. Cream the butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth. Add in the eggs and extracts.
  4. Slowly mix in the flour, until combined. Stir in desired amount of Andes Mints and Chocolate Chips
  5. Use cookie dough scoop to form small ball, place on baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes (I cook for 7 minutes for a doughy effect). Remove from the oven and let cool on cookie sheet if you want it to continue cooking a little longer, or immediately transfer to foil lined counter-top.  I don’t cool these bad boys on a wire rack as I want the maximum doughy gooey effect.