Soft Pretzels with dipping cheese sauce

For our snack this week I wanted to make something different.I have been meaning to make soft pretzels and decided this was a great time to do it especially since I had extra cheese on hand and could make a great dipping sauce. I found this recipe from Strotthotte online and they were simple and delicious. I dipped them in a great cheese sauce listed below!

ENJOY!

Ingredients:

For 3 dozen 6-inch sticks or

For 1 dozen 6-inch Pretzels

1 tbsp Yeast

1 tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 tbsp softened butter or softened margarine

1 cup warm (115-+ deg F) water

2 3/4 cups flourCoarse Salt to sprinkle on Pretzels before baking

5 tsp baking soda mixed in 4 cups water in a non-aluminum saucepan.

1 large slotted spoon to “go fishing”

Greased cookie sheet

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 F

Put yeast, sugar, salt, butter/marg, water and ONE CUP of the flour into a medium mixing bowl and pour in the water. Stir till all smooth, and yeast starts to bubble. At this point add the rest of the flour, stir till it is mixed in. When mixture is too stiff to stir with a spoon, begin kneading. Knead dough till smooth and till it no longer sticks to the bowl and your hands. Allow dough to rise to about double its height.

While dough is rising, grease the cookie sheet. and prepare the baking soda-water mixture and bring to a boil on stove. When dough is risen enough, punch down, knead for a minute or so, then divide and roll the 6-inch sticks with your hands, to about 1/2 inch in diameter, or 12-15-inch long rolls to make into the pretzel shape. Allow sticks or pretzels to sit for about 1-2 mins.

Place them into boiling water-baking soda mixture one or two at a time. Let the pretzels boil for 1 minute 10 seconds, then flip them over with the slotted spoon and boil on the other side for 1 minute and 10 seconds. This boiling step gives them a firm skin and adds some flavour. Not boiling long enough leaves them too soft and allows them to rise too much. Boiling too long makes them tough. Fish them out of the water, let them drip off and place them on the greased cookie sheet. When all the pretzels or sticks are done, sprinkle the coarse salt on them. Bake for 12-15 minutes or till sticks or pretzels are golden brown.

Cheese Sauce: I don’t know where I got this recipe. If it is yours, please let me know and I will cite you!

1 cup grated cheese

1 tbsp flour (thickener)

1tbsp milk

4 oz cream cheese

a dash of garlic powder and cayenne pepper

Directions:

Take the grated cheeses and put into a bowl. Stir in milk and flour (add more as needed). Then heat in the microwave until cheese has melted or until hot. You should try doing it in minimal parts so as not to over heat. Serve warm or cold as a spread.