Pretzel Mania

Bentley is currently in love with fresh pretzels.   It makes sense, it goes along with his love of bread, bagels, pasta, pizza bread, bread sticks... all lovely white carbs.  I console myself that at least he likes vegetables, milk, and lots of types of protein too!  He probably has me to blame for his carb addiction, I love all those above mentioned foods too.

Recently Bentley and I picked up some pretzel sticks at the mall, and he devoured them.  He did share a FEW with me!  We played our racquetball, then on the way back out of the club Bentley said he wanted ANOTHER order of pretzel sticks.  I told him it's a fun treat to buy food when we're out and about, but that for $4 I was just going to stick with one order.  It's the principle of the thing, right?!  I told him we could try making our own at home.

So I googled some copycat recipes the next day and we got busy.  Bentley's verdict?  Perfect, he told me.  Even BETTER than the ones at the mall.  High compliment, I think!

My only complaint?  Sure, mixing the dough isn't hard.  And dipping them into some baking soda water, cooking, brushing with butter... I can handle all of that.  But the rolling out of all that dough into long long long thin pretzel ropes?  Got old after just a few minutes!  Enter brainstorming.  On our second batch I tried the spritz machine to squeeze the dough into lovely ropes for me.  Good results, but hard on the hands!  Next up?  Our third batch and the sausage stuffer on my Kitchen Aid.  Once I perfected my technique we were golden!  Long ropes and more ropes of pretzel dough, easy peasy!  I love it.  We're in business.

Here he is with his name in pretzel form.  All from one pretzel dough rope that came out of the Kitchen Aid.  Impressive, right?!

Now I need a good cheese sauce, maybe a mustard sauce... there are all sorts of possibilities.  For the rest of the household, that is.  Bentley likes them plain.  Drenched in butter.   Good choice too!