Chewy Soft Pretzels

I got this recipe from my mom. Every time we have made these pretzels, they have turned out impeccably! They are even better than those yummy pretzels at the mall! And we are big fans of hot pretzels in this house, so that is saying a lot! They are hot and chewy and they have that really great pretzel flavor! Plus they are so fun to make with the kids! They LOVE it! (See picture below...so excited!) Such a fun activity for them! It seems a little complicated but as soon as you make them once you will see how easy it is! And think, why haven't I been making these for years?

Makes 8 pretzels

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 to 1 cup warm water*

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping:

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Coarse salt or Cinnamon & Sugar

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth, and quite slack. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it will make your pretzels splotchy.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown. I only bake one baking sheet at a time and let the other rest while the first is in the oven.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Then sprinkle on the kosher salt or cinnamon & sugar! And Enjoy!

*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.

Jade's Heart Pretzel

Lemon-Artichoke Orzotto

This is one of my favorite "go to" recipes. It's easy, fast and really delicious! And it is one of Mitch's favorites, he loves the texture of orzo! It is one of those recipes that you can pretty much substitute whatever you have in your kitchen and it will still turn out beautifully! I love it with mushrooms, roasted fennel, squash, pretty much anything! The way you cook it is risotto style, but orzo isn't as temperamental, and I actually prefer the mild pasta flavor as opposed to the rice. So, you get the same depth of flavor cooked into the pasta, but in a much easier, fail-proof way! This recipe is adapted from a Kelsey Nixon recipe and I just love it!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cups orzo

3 cups vegetable broth (made from knorr vegetable bullion)

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped

a handful of chopped sundried tomatoes

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tbsp butter

Juice of 1 lemon

A couple Tablespoons of Heavy Cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, add garlic. Add the orzo and toast for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Gradually add the vegetable broth and cook until absorbed.

Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed and orzo is tender. Remove from the heat.

Stir Parmesan, fresh basil, lemon zest, butter, and lemon juice. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. Enjoy!