Chocolate-drizzled pretzel

Ingredients

• 2 tsps active dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsps canola oil
• 1/4 cup warm water + a bit more
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 tbsps melted butter
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds - rough-chopped
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• Melted chocolate (I used a couple of dark Lindt squares), thinned out with some milk

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Preparation

• 1. Proof the yeast by dssolving yeast and sugar in warm water (let stand for 10 mins).
  
  2. In the meantime, combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
  
  3. Add oil and yeast mixture from #1 to #2 and form dough. Add more water as necessary until a pliable dough is formed. Knead for about 5 mins.
  
  4. Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for about 1 hour in a warm place.
  
  5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  
  6. Once dough has risen, divide into 6-8 pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a rope and twist to form pretzel shape. Assemble all pretzels.
  
  7. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Dip pretzels in this solution and place on parchment paper. Bake for about 10 mins, until browned.
  
  8. Brush pretzels with butter immediately after taking them out from the oven. Dip into almond-sugar mixture. Drizzle with melted chocolate.
  
  These are best eaten right away, although a few that I had left outside all day still remained soft and were just as good after 7 seconds in the microwave. :)