Kirstens Kickin Pretzels Recipes

ALMOST-FAMOUS SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Make the pretzels: Warm the milk in a saucepan until it's about 110 degrees; pour into a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes; stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon. Dice 2 tablespoons butter and soften; stir into the mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If the dough seems tight, cover and let rest until it relaxes.) Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch. Form each rope into a pretzel shape.
• Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Prepare the sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, brown sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a shallow dish. Dip the hot pretzels in the butter, turning to coat; place on a wire rack to let excess butter drip off. Serve the pretzels warm with the sweet mustard sauce.
• Illustration by Jason Lee

SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Bring 8 cups water, 1/2 cup baking soda and 2 teaspoons kosher salt to a boil in a pot. Cut 1 pound pizza dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a 2-foot-long rope and pick up the ends to form a U shape; cross one end over the other twice to make a double twist in the middle; attach the ends to the bottom of the U, using water to adhere. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to lower the pretzels into the boiling water. Cook, flipping once, until slightly puffed, 30 seconds per side. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet; brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix water, salt, and sugar until combined. Add yeast, and let rest 5 minutes until yeast starts to foam.
• Add flour and 2 tablespoons of oil, and mix thoroughly until a dough forms.
• Remove the dough and use the remaining oil to cover the bowl.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Cut dough into 8 pieces and roll them out into thin ropes, twisting the two ends to form a pretzel shape.
• Add baking soda to a large pot of water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds per side.
• Transfer pretzels to a baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
• Enjoy!

KIRSTEN'S KICKIN' PRETZELS

Steps:

• Break up pretzels into bite size pieces.
• Mix dry seasoning with oil then coat pretzles in a large bowl or ziplock and let marinate at least 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Spead on baking sheet and bake at 250 for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to dry out.
• Enjoy!

HEART-SHAPED PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together warm water, yeast, and 1/2 cup brown sugar; let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour and coarse salt using your hands. Add butter and continue to combine with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Add yeast mixture and, still using your hands, combine until a shaggy dough is formed and water is absorbed.
• Using the dough-hook attachment, mix dough on medium-low speed until tight, elastic, and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll out dough into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut dough into twelve 14-inch-long strips, each about 1 inch wide. Working with one piece at a time, form dough into desired shapes and sizes. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
• Coat a second large baking sheet with cooking spray. In a wide stockpot, combine 8 cups water, baking soda, beer, and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Simmer pretzels, one at a time (or two, with smaller pretzels), about 30 seconds each, holding them under surface of water, if necessary, with a wide slotted spoon or spatula. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. (You can gently reshape pretzels if they become misshapen.)
• Sprinkle pretzels with pretzel salt and/or desired toppings, using one topping or combining different ones. Transfer to oven and bake 5 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and bake until deep brown, 3 to 6 minutes more. Transfer pretzels to a wire rack; let cool slightly. Serve warm, with mustards and cornichons. Pretzels can be made in advance and frozen in an airtight container; thaw and warm in a 250 degrees oven.

KEN'S KICKIN' POSOLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the poblano chiles cut-side-down onto the baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 5 minutes. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Dice the chiles.
• Cook and stir the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until it has released its fat and is beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, and discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the pork loin cubes. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the pork from the pot, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and is beginning to turn brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir the roasted poblano chiles, jalapeno peppers, oregano, cumin, New Mexico chile powder, cloves, salt, and cilantro into the onions; cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and enchilada sauce. Stir in the bacon and pork cubes, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 1 hour. Stir in the hominy, recover, and continue cooking 1 hour more until the pork is very tender.