Mar 9 / Erin

Tasty Tuesday: Cheesy Soft Pretzels

Is it bad that the most elementary recipes are my favorites? And by elementary I mean recipes for the foods I used to eat in elementary school…like these cheesy soft pretzels.

One of my friends recently asked for some kid-friendly recipe suggestions and these pretzels were the first thing to cross my mind. And once this favorite childhood recipe popped into my head, it wouldn’t go away. So I just had to ask my sister for the recipe and make them this past weekend.

I made a few tweaks to the recipe. First, I used orange-colored cheddar cheese. As a native Vermonter, orange cheddar is the strangest thing to me. But for some reason I was compelled to buy and use it. I guess I thought that orange cheese would make the pretzels look a little bit more fun. I also doubled the size of each pretzel, making them big and fluffy.

I think this recipe would be the perfect substitute for a dinner roll at an informal dinner party. Or, they could be the perfect football party snack. Truthfully, they are more like a biscuit than a traditional soft pretzel. So, don’t expect a true soft pretzel texture!

Here’s how you can make them…

Cheesy Soft Pretzels (printable version)
makes 8 large pretzels
(original recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups flour
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
2 TBS butter, softened
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
Coarse salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix all ingredients except egg and coarse salt in medium bowl with fork until soft dough forms. Smooth dough gently into ball on floured board. Knead 10 times and divide the dough in half.

Start with one half of the dough and roll it into a rectangle that is about 10×5 inches. Cut lengthwise into four even strips. Repeat with the next half of the dough.

Fold each strip lengthwise in half; pinch edges to seal.

Twist each strip into pretzel shape. Place seam down on greased cookie sheet.

Beat egg in small bowl with fork until blended. Brush pretzels with egg.

Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown. (If you want thinner pretzels, roll each rectangle to 12×8 inches and cut into 8 strips of dough.)

Really, is there anything that is much better than bread and cheese? These pretzels offer the best of both and are super good when served fresh out of the oven. Enjoy!