Pretzels
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk, (110ºF)3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 ½ cups of diced apples2 tablespoons coarse sea salt2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading (see Cook’s Note)2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, at room temperature, and some more to grease the bowl1 teaspoon ground cinnamonOne ¼-ounce package of dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)1/3 cup baking soda3 quarts of warm water1 large egg + water to wash the egg1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Recipe
Pour the warmed milk into a large bowl. Then sprinkle the dry yeast onto the milk. Stir the mixture with a spatula or electric mixer until it has a foamy and soft consistency.
Wait for the mixture to rise (5 minutes)
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla, softened butter, egg, brown sugar, and a cup of flour until the ingredients are absorbed by the mix.
Add in the remaining 1 ¼ cups of flour, cinnamon, coarse sea salt, and chopped apple. This would form a sticky dough.
Turn out the dough onto a surface that has been lightly sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough and add more flour (as needed) to make it of light and smooth consistency. This process takes a little more than 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball.
Take out another bowl and line the sides with butter. This would make sure the dough does not stick to the bowl.
Take the ball of dough and place it in the bowl. Cover it with a plastic wrap then place it in a warm place to make it rise. This process takes an hour to complete.
While the dough is rising, set your oven’s heat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Use parchment paper to line a rimmed baking sheet.
After one hour, uncover the dough and press your fist in to deflate it. If tight, leave for another 30 minutes.
Sprinkle flour in light amounts on your surface.
Divide the dough into 6 pieces (or 18 pieces for smaller pretzels) and roll each piece out into a 24” long rope. It’s normal for the chopped apples to fall out. Keep rolling the dough onto the chopped apples- they’ll stay in place.
To produce a double twist in the middle, lift the ends of the “rope” to form a U shape.
Cross one dough end over the other to create the double twist that is in the middle of the pretzel.
Attach both ends of the U-Shaped dough to the bottom of the U.
Repeat steps 13-15 for the remaining dough.
Take out a shallow baking dish and pour in 3 quarts of warm water.
Add the baking soda into the hot water. Use a stirrer to distribute the powder evenly to make a clear solution.
Using a clean Spatula, lift one pretzel at a time and gently dip it into the solution. Let the excess water drip off.
Carefully arrange the pretzels, one at a time, on the prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle each of the pretzels with some coarse sea salt.
Bake the pretzels until they are puffed and turn a deep golden brown. This lasts for 15 minutes.
Use an oven mitt to bring out the pan. Leave it on the kitchen counter to cool.
Caramel Topping
Ingredients
Kosher salt½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract1/3 cup packed light brown sugar¼ cup heavy cream2 tablespoons unsalted butter1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Recipe
Set a small saucepan over medium heat and leave for 1 minute.
Melt the butter and brown sugar in the pan until you get a smooth mixture.
Add the heavy cream and keep whisking, aiming for a smooth mix. Once you see this, transfer the pan’s contents into a medium-sized bowl
Add in the vanilla, confectioners’ sugar, and salt to thicken the mixture. Keep on whisking until you observe a clear deep gold.
Test the consistency of the caramel by dipping a clean spatula in and letting the mix drip. It should drip the way honey does.
When you have achieved this, transfer the caramel into a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off. Dribble the caramel over the warm pretzels.
Leave the caramel to set.
In conclusion, pretzels are a great choice for gatherings and even presents. As far as they leave a smile on whoever’s eating it, then that’s perfect.
