Easy Cheesy Pretzels

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School was canceled for us today due to icy roads and snow.  That makes it a perfect day to have some Kids in the Kitchen time!  






 Easy Cheesy Pretzels are easy enough for 8 year old Wesley to mix up pretty much by himself, though I did stand by and oversee measuring and explaining a few things like "kneading". It depends on how much kitchen experience your little helpers have had.  We like to have Kid Aprons

*First, gather all of the ingredients you need onto a cookie sheet or counter.  We measured and put into bowls for the picture, and that also makes it easy to see that you have everything.  Wesley especially enjoys measuring flour.  He measured that cup and a half several times before he was satisfied it could go in the bowl.  (we did not gather the beaten egg or the pretzel salt) 

Easy Cheesy Pretzels
1 1/2 C. flour
2/3 C. milk
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

 1 egg
course ground salt (it is sometimes called Pretzel Salt) or regular salt if you don't have the other
Heat oven to 400 degrees. (I have a convection oven and set it to 375)

 Grease a cookie sheet lightly.

 In a medium sized bowl, put 1 1/2 C. flour, 2/3 C. milk, 1/2 C. cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt.   Mix these ingredients with a fork until it is a soft dough.  Most flour should be mixed in.



Flour counter or pastry board.  Gather dough into a ball, set on floured surface and knead 10 times.  (We just press forward with the heel of our hand and then fold the top back towards us and then press forward with the heel of the hand again and repeat, flouring hands and board as needed)


 Divide dough into 2 pieces.  Roll 1 half of the dough into a rectangle that is close to 12 inches long and 7-8 inches wide.  Cut with a pizza cutter into 1 inch strips.  We used a clean ruler to measure.  Did you know that the width of a ruler is generally 1 inch wide?  Perfect!



Fold each strip in half lengthwise and press the edge together.  Roll a little bit to make it round.  (Wesley says "like a snake") Curve the dough into a circle twisting the ends together twice and then fold up onto the top of the circle and press together gently.  Do this with each strip of dough.
  Place each pretzel on the greased cookie sheet.  



Crack the egg into a bowl.  Mix well with a fork.   Using a pastry brush (or your fingers if you don't have a pastry brush) brush each pretzel with the egg mixture.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.

 Repeat above steps with the other half of the dough.

 Bake in the 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes (our convection oven took 16 minutes) until golden brown.

 Cool slightly before serving.  Delicious alone OR with spaghetti or pizza sauce for dipping!




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