Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Home Made Pretzels

After we finished up school today we decided that we should try our hand at making big, soft pretzels like you can buy at the mall. I remember having a recipe from way back that I dig out of my black binder full of recipes from the past 25 years.

My kids are always hungry these days. No matter that they just finished lunch twenty minutes earlier. I'm guess we are being prepared for the "teenager days" when our house will be filled with four of them that have appetites the size of the Grand Canyon. Maybe it's time to buy a farm so we can raise our own food.

At any rate, these pretzels were delicious! We made the dough then shaped the pretzels into all different shapes. We boiled them in baking soda and water and then popped them in the oven for 10 minutes. Out came some super, yummy pretzels. We dropped them in melted butter and dusted them with cinnamon and sugar. A few of them we covered with pretzel salt.

The snack was a hit and I'm sure we will be making these again.

Pretzels
1 packet yeast or 2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water (115 - 120 degrees)
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
4 c. flour
course salt
melted butter
cinnamon and sugar for dusting
1/2 c. baking soda

Disolve the yeast in water
add salt and sugar
blend in flour one cup at a time
knead dough on floured board for a couple of minutes
roll into rectangle
cut into strips
roll strips until they are rounded
shape (pretzel, initials, etc)

boil water and add 1/2 cup baking soda. Gently set each pretzel into boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds and set on greased baking sheet.

Pop into a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. While still warm roll pretzel into melted butter. Either salt or dust (we dusted the heck out of ours) with cinnamon and sugar.








2 comments:

Mary Aalgaard said...

Now, that's a great home school activity! Send some over. I've never made pretzels. I thought they looked too hard.

Michele said...

Is there enough sugar and spice in our lives?

Salt on the homemade pretzels?

Yes, Colleen these are the essentials of our christian lives. We are always needing the daily benefits of the nourishment to our bodies and souls.

Cooking and sharing devotions with my children are some of the fondest memories I have.

Yet, like our pretzels we don't want to be too salty, nor do we wish to loose our spice. That is the delicate balance.

A city on a hill.

Your writing is a light.

As you continue to care for your body and soul with your children I pray that you will feel better.

It is a bit nostalgic to have a recipe book to hold and create memories with family.

My books now have photographs of my children, their drawings, and love notes to me as part of this collection.

Just like you have done here. You have the modern day version. In retrospect you will look back and discover what a loving gift you have offered to your family and the world.

Matthew 5
The beatitudes
Jesus calls you blessed as you continue to heal...

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
Salt and light
Our Pastor in the cities here spoke a couple weeks ago on this passage. I'm not teaching Sunday school as we are not members here. Church is loud and fast-paced in the cities! Our hearts are still up north with you all. I wonder if my light is shinning as bright as it once was?

One little flame in our hearts beating for Jesus, is enough to give light to the windows of another's eyes; ours included.

A little spice added to our recipes is something worth sharing.

Thank you-