9 July, 2012
Comments : 25 Posted in : Appetizer on July 9, 2012 by : Chris Tags: appetizer, beer, pretzels
I’m a sucker for soft pretzels. Whenever I’m in NYC I have to get one off a street cart. Last week there was a street fair in town and someone was selling soft pretzels; had to buy some. I love the doughy chew combined with the crunch of the large, coarse salt.
For the longest time our version of home made pretzels was baking some pre-made frozen soft pretzels and calling it a day. Then I tried making my own. They came out ok but were slightly off the mark both in flavor and that classic pretzel golden brown color.
The pretzels you are looking at here though are the real deal. And, FYI, super easy to make. Which, for us, is pretty key as we’re really going to have our arms full when Baby Boy becomes big brother in a few months.
This recipe comes from the food blogFeeding Andy, which I was assigned for this monthsSecret Recipe Club. Run by chef-in-training Peggy and loaded with a bunch of great looking recipes we want to try out (like thisCinnamon Pull Apart Bread). Peggy’s blog is full of mouthwatering photos and really tantalizing yet accessible recipes which make us wonder if she hasn’t completed culinary school already and is presently posing as a student (just kidding!).
I liked these pretzel bites and the accompanying beer cheese dip as is. Rachel found the pretzel bites to be a little too doughy, which could have been because I made the balls too big (mine were golf ball size) or didn’t bake the extra minute or two they needed. When we bake for a party I’m going to do them as logs; easier for baking and party dipping too.
The beer cheese dip I found to be a perfect accompaniment to the pretzel bites, especially as I drank the remainder of the beer used in this recipe. The horseradish gave a little zing to the dip, and the cream cheese and Velveeta were creamy smooth.
We’re hosting a big summer bbq next weekend with a bunch of friends and family. So besides wanting to make these pretzel bites just because I really wanted to have them, I thought I’d give them a test to see if they were party material. They definitely are. And they’ll be made, in bulk, for our little shindig next week. If you’re in NJ stop by, though no promises on how long these will last. 😉
Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 & 1/4 cups warm water
- 5 cups flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 2 egg whites
- Kosher or coarse sea salt, for topping
- cooking spray
Instructions
- In a measuring cup dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the flour, white and brown sugars, and salt. Pour the water/yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons melted butter into the bowl. Knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth. Add extra water if dough is too dry, until you get your desired texture.
- Lightly oil a large bowl. Shape dough into a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of hot water and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and then knead with hands for one minute. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and break off small chunks of dough - Roll the chunks into 1 inch diameter balls (I got about 20-25).
- Dip the pieces in the baking soda water and place on the baking sheet. Gently drying with a paper towel if they become too wet. Brush each pretzel ball with egg whites/melted butter then sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes, until browned.
http://thekeenancookbook.com/appetizer/pretzel-bites-with-beer-cheese
Beer Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/2 cup good beer
- 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup Velveeta, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.
- Stir in beer, horseradish sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Heat for another 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
- Add in Velveeta. Heat another 30 seconds, and stir until cheese is melted and smooth.
http://thekeenancookbook.com/appetizer/pretzel-bites-with-beer-cheese
Recipe from: My Fiance Likes It So It Must Be Good
25s COMMENTS
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July 9, 2012 at 2:07 pm
You are too sweet! You definitely picked one of my favorite recipes of all time! So glad you were my “secret blogger” and now I’ve got a new blog to read =)
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Chris
July 10, 2012 at 8:37 am
We really enjoyed looking through your recipes! I really enjoyed this one- Glad you shared 🙂
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July 9, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Love the sound of the beer cheese, yum.
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my SRC entry Double Chocolate Mousse Cake
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa CookLog in to Reply
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Chris
July 10, 2012 at 8:38 am
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake does sound good- we’ll be over to inspect!
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July 9, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Oh my gosh, sounds amazing!!
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Chris
July 10, 2012 at 8:38 am
Pretzels and cheese- what’s not to love?!
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July 10, 2012 at 12:24 am
This cheese sauce with homemade pretzels sounds genius. Soft pretzels have been on my list for awhile, but I have never attempted them. Hope your party goes well. Sure these will be a hit!
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Chris
July 10, 2012 at 8:40 am
These were actually pretty easy to make! We’ve tried a few different ones and this one was defiantly a keeper.
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July 10, 2012 at 2:02 am
DROOL! This sounds so good! And congrats on baby #2! 🙂
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July 10, 2012 at 1:47 pm
WOW! These sound so yummy!
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July 10, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Pretzel bites look like the perfect snack and that cheese looks aoutstanding.
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Michelle
November 4, 2012 at 11:00 am
Dude. These are ridiculous! Recipe worked perfectly on my first try, and I find yeast breads intimidating. I did reduce the amount of beer in the cheese dip to make it a bit thicker. They were devoured in minutes – thanks for sharing!
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Chris
November 4, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Awesome, so glad you liked!
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Pingback: New Years Appetizers Recipe Round Up: 2012
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April 12, 2013 at 10:15 pm
I made these tonight. I’m not a cook or a baker (not that I can’t, but I just don’t). These turned out AWESOME and taste really good. Thanks for sharing!!
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Chris
April 14, 2013 at 8:00 pm
That’s great! Glad you liked them!
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Pingback: Pretzel Bites - Where Home Starts
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August 2, 2013 at 1:52 pm
Hi! Wow.. these look AMAZING! I have a question, can I make them in advance? We are having a beer tasting party and these would be a great appetizer, but it would be easier for me to make the day before! Thanks!
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Chris
August 2, 2013 at 1:55 pm
Hi Megan! They are quite tasty and I think would be great for your beer tasting party!
You can definitely make the dough in advance and shape into pretzels the day before. Just put in your fridge. This will probably yield even tastier results as the flavors have time to mature. Then just take out and pop in the oven and follow the remaining steps the day of the party.
Enjoy!
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Angelica Arenas
October 13, 2014 at 5:15 pm
I made this dough this weekend and it came out amazing with one exception, the ratio of baking soda to water is off! 1/2 cup to 4 cups of water? My first test batch came out tasting like the box of baking soda. I did 9-10 cups of water to about 1/3 cup of baking soda and they came out perfect!
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Chris
November 2, 2014 at 8:24 pm
Ooh that first batch sounds awful! Glad you tried again with better results!!
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katie
January 30, 2015 at 6:37 pm
Wow. I must say that while I was making these I thought something was horribly wrong. My dough wasn’t getting very “smooth” and after it rose it was still quite difficult to roll them into smooth balls but even after all of that they turned out to be the most fantastic pretzel bites I’ve ever had.
Thanks for sharing! This is definitely going in my recipe box.Log in to Reply
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Chris
February 3, 2015 at 7:27 pm
So glad you enjoyed 🙂
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Barbara Gravante
March 15, 2015 at 6:05 pm
Want to try your pretzel bites ASAP
Do you know how I can make a batch ahead of time .
Would like to prepare them the day before my party .
Can I freeze the bites after they have baked and cooled and then reheat later.
Thank you for posting this recipe I must try.Log in to Reply
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Chris
March 17, 2015 at 10:12 am
Hi Barbara
Hmm…Not sure, we haven’t frozen them before. But I think you should be fine. I think they wont be as good as fresh fresh but should still be fine. Maybe try a small batch ahead of time and test?
Good luck and let us know!
ChrisLog in to Reply
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