What’s Trending Wednesday: National Pretzel Day

It’s National Pretzel Day! Whether you’re partial to the classically crunchy snacks, or prefer to indulge in a warm, soft pretzel, there’s no wrong way to celebrate! In this week’s What’s Trending Wednesday, we’re sharing some salty snacks that are sure to satisfy the most twisted of cravings.

Caramel-Filled Pretzel Bites

If you’re a sucker for sweet and salty treats, you’ll want to try these delectable caramel-filled pretzel bites.

Ingredients:

Pretzels

• ½ c warm water (about 100-110°F)
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp canola oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 ¼ tsp yeast
• 1 ½ – 2 ½ c all-purpose flour
• 8 caramel squares

Pretzel Wash

• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 1 ½ c hot water
• coarse sea salt

Directions

1. To prepare the pretzels, stir together the water, sugar, oil, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the yeast, and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes or until frothy. Mix in the flour, ½ cup at a time, until a dough forms that begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into it. Let the dough rest while completing the next step.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil, and generously coat with nonstick cooking spray. Slice the caramel squares into quarters.
4. Evenly divide the dough into 32 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll it into a ball, flatten, and place a caramel piece in the center. Fold the dough over the caramel, pinch to seal, and roll into a ball. Place the dough onto a well-floured surface while filling the rest of the dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. To prepare the wash, add the baking soda to a medium bowl, and pour in the hot water. Stir to fully dissolve the baking soda.
6. Working with 2-3 pretzel bites at a time, place them onto a slotted spatula or spoon, and briefly dip them into the wash. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
7. Bake the pretzel bites at 400°F for 7-8 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes.

Spinach, Artichoke and Bacon Stuffed Pretzels

Plain is good, but stuffed is better. This savory recipe puts a tasty twist on your traditional soft pretzel.

Ingredients

Pretzels

• 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 cup beer
• 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 quarts water for boiling the pretzels
• 2/3 cups baking soda for boiling the pretzels
• 1 egg beaten, for brushing before baking
• Coarse sea salt

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Filling

• 2 slices thick-cut bacon chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 ounce cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. To make the pretzel dough, combine the water, brown sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the melted butter, beer, salt, all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour to the mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
3. Coat a large bowl with canola oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. This will take about 1 hour.
4. About 10 minutes before you’re ready to roll out the dough make the filling. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until all fat is rendered and bacon is crispy, stirring often. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place to drain on a paper towel. To the same skillet (if not using the bacon start here),
5. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for a minute or two, then pour in milk. Stir and cook one minute, if your paste gets too thick splash in more milk.
6. Add cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and pepper. Stir until cheeses are melted. Stir in the Greek yogurt until smooth. Chop artichokes and spinach and add to the sauce. Add the bacon, stir to combine. Dip will be thick, just use some muscle and stir in those veggies!
7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
8. Divide the pretzel dough into 8 equal balls and roll each out into a rectangle (about 11×3 inches). Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons spinach and artichoke dip along the length of each piece. Starting with the opposite side, roll the dough up into a log, enclosing the toppings inside. Pinch the seams together and then very gently roll the dough with your hands to form an even cylinder and fully enclose the filling.
9. Take the two ends of each filled cylinder and form into a circle that is overlapped by a couple of inches of dough on either side, twist the ends and lay over the opposite side to form a pretzel shape and press to seal. Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula or a spider. Place 4 pretzels on each baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.
10. Remove pretzels from oven and let cool five minutes. Enjoy!

Everything Pretzels

Everything’s better with a little everything seasoning. So why not top off your next batch of pretzels with it?

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 cups water
• ? cup baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons course salt
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• Fondue:
• 1 cup aged Monterey Jack cheese or aged cheddar, shredded
• ½ cup fresh mozzarella, shredded
• ½ cup pale ale beer
• 1 hatch pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour

Directions

1. In the bottom of a stand mixer, combine water, sugar and salt. Sprinkle yeast over. Let set for 5 minutes until foamy. Add in flour and melted butter. Using the dough hook, mix the dough until combined on a low speed, Increase the speed to medium and mix for five to seven minutes until dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Rinse bowl off and then grease with canola oil. Place dough in the bottom and coat with oil. Cover with a towel and place in a warm, draft –free place. Let rise for one hour.
3. Once the dough has risen, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll dough into an 18-20 inch rope. Shape into pretzels.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large stock pot to a rolling boil. Add baking soda. Place pretzels one at a time in the water and baking soda mixture. Cook for 45 seconds, flipping halfway through.
5. Transfer pretzels to a greased baking sheet. Wisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush pretzels with egg wash and then sprinkle liberally with everything seasoning mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 13-15 minutes
6. Fondue: In a small saucepan, heat beer over a medium heat. Toss shredded cheese with 1 tablespoon flour. Reduce heat on stove to low and add diced peppers and cheese coated in flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.

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