pretzel

a year of bakes-the next to last

kdavis Leave a comment

have you been wondering, “where is kelsey’s november bake? how about the december bake? is everything okay?!” there is nothing to wonder or worry about, per se, as the last couple months of 2024 simply took over and flew on by! between a trip to costa rica with family and the holidays with the in-laws, dedicated time to bake something new just fell by the wayside.

rest assured i did not forget my commitment and this past weekend decided to try my hand at homemade pretzels. i was inspired by the Christmas market phillip and i went to last month. it was full of German-inspired treats and goodies, and we indulged in a tasty bratwurst and giant pretzel while we listened to an a cappella group sing some carols. much festive-ness!

i’ve had spotty success when it comes to working with yeast but did not let that deter me from trying out this homemade soft pretzel recipe. i had nearly all the ingredients on hand and figured it was time to brush up on my dough-making skills. the pretzel dough itself came together pretty easily as i added some water, and i was thrilled i didn’t have to schlep out my stand mixer. don’t get me wrong, i love that thing; but it’s buried in the depths of our kitchen cabinets and somewhat of a pain to retrieve. as i balled up the dough and double-checked the recipe, though, i sharply inhaled in a panic. i had forgotten the tablespoon of oil! i reread the steps several times and first thought, “well, if forgetting the oil is a grave mistake, i’ll know soon enough.” but as i revisited the recipe, i thought the oil really was just for the bowl itself. so, we went with that. 🙂

a little over an hour later, i checked on my dough. i wouldn’t say it had quite doubled in size, but sometimes i’m impatient (this past sunday was one of those days), so i abandoned all caution and plopped the dough out and divided it into equal parts. getting that dough to roll into a long rope wasn’t the easiest. the dough kept bouncing back, and i feared overworking it. however, i wasn’t in the mood to let a little bit of pretzel dough stress me out, so one-by-one, i eventually got the hang of it. they look like pretzels to me!

into a hot baking soda-water bath they went. then, it was a sprinkling of kosher salt and into the oven.

the timer sounded, and i opened the oven cautiously. there was a yeasty smell in the air, and i was pleased to see the browning on the pretzels. they looked a little pale in places, but i didn’t want to overbake the bottoms. so, out they came and onto the cooling rack.

the more i looked at my little pretzel treasures, the more they made me smile. i can honestly say i don’t eat soft pretzels that often, but something about them felt very nostalgic. i expect probably because they made me reminisce on trips to the mall growing up. we would almost always stop by the auntie anne’s stand for a hot pretzel between shops to savor the buttery flavor and rest our feet. mm, the good ‘ole days.

is this recipe a keeper? absolutely. was it the best pretzel i’d ever eaten? no, but the recipe is solid, and i’m certain with a little refining and practice, they could easily be something i whip up for a weekend get together or, you know, just because. 🙂

nrw – kurt’s euro bistro

kdavis 1 Comment

phillip and i have had a busy summer season, so you can imagine we were quite grateful for a recent weekend with nearly no plans. it was two saturdays ago, and i’d just returned from a scrapbook supply mission at our local hobby lobby. when i asked phillip what he wanted for dinner, he suggested we go out. i considered this idea for a moment and then, like a ton of bricks, the perfect place came to mind. we piled into the hyundai, made a left out of the neighborhood, took a right on the main drive, and within minutes pulled up to kurt’s euro bistro.

i’ve passed this unassuming spot countless times by now but never given it a try. we have become creatures of habit and tend to eat at the same (and very good) restaurants, so it just felt like the right thing to do to try something new. plus, my neighbor ellen had mentioned it was a good spot, so off we were!

we arrived a little after seven and lucked out that there was a high top available in the bar area. the hostess politely advised we make a reservation next time, as they get busy quickly on the weekends. so, we settled into our chairs, and our waitress brought us some waters while we took in the ambience. dark woods, low ceilings, pint glasses as far as the eye can see; and even though i have never been to europe, i definitely got those vibes.

we weren’t in a hurry so started with some beers and their pretzel and, of course, some beer cheese. my weihenstephan weiss was perfectly wheaty and chilled and paired nicely with the doughy yet light pretzel. the beer cheese was rich, and i think i liked the mustard dip most. if dinner was going to be anything like this appetizer, it was also going to be good (spoiler, it was).

so many of their dishes sounded delicious, but phillip and i both kept things simple and ordered a skillet with a bratwurst and sauerkraut. for barely ten bucks, there was a ton of food! the kraut was tender, the brat was juicy and flavorful, and that spicy ketchup just made everything sing. a bite alone or altogether, i was satisfied regardless.

wait, i almost forgot about the spatzle! i wasn’t hungry enough for an entire schnitzel entree, but that spatzle seemed irresistible. luckily, you can order a side of it, and i’m so glad we did. that pasta was buttery and perfectly finished with a little sautéed crunch. i am certain i looked very ladylike as i stuffed my face with forkfuls of it. 🙂

all in all, kurt’s is a lovely spot. they have indoor and outdoor seating, an intimate and well-stocked bar, welcoming staff, and a menu that’s not too big but not too small. i look forward to our next meal here (which will hopefully be soon).

turtle pretzels

kdavis 2 Comments

ladies and gentlemen, i present to you the easiest treat ever made by man:  turtle pretzels!  okay, i don’t think they’re really called turtle pretzels, but they’re something i made last thanksgiving with the family, and i never really got the name.  so!  turtle pretzels they will be!

this recipe is so stinkin’ easy that i am not even going to break it down into ingredients and directions.  you can literally read the instructions here and be good to go!

preheat your oven to 250 degrees fahrenheit.

grab a cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper.  if you ran out of parchment paper like i did, use tin foil instead.  place those window pane pretzels on there, just a little spaced out.

pretzels

next, violently tear open a bag of rolos.  i use the word violently because when i cut and ripped mine open, i had rolos everywhere.  it was like an early rolo Christmas just for my tiny kitchen and me.  then, because you don’t want to look too much like a mess, place them all next to the bag nicely as if they had just come out that way.

rolo bag

unwrap those little candies and place one atop each pretzel.

pop the cookie sheet into the oven for two minutes.  only two minutes, kelsey?  doesn’t that seem a little short?  well, yes, in the grand scheme of things two minutes is not very long at all, and you don’t need a long time with these little guys.  they just need to warm enough so that we can smash them down, which we’ll do in just a moment, if you’ll be patient.

after those long and excruciating two minutes are up, pull the cookie sheet out and press a pecan half down on top of each rolo.  the reason you only need two minutes is because if you go any longer, all that caramel surprise inside the rolo will squirt right out, and that’s not what we want.

let the treats cool and harden and then store them in an airtight container.  then take them to your company holiday party and watch them get scarfed up by all your ravenous coworkers who cannot get enough of your baking.  happy holidays!