Pumpkin spiced pretzels

Pretzels have been on my baking bucket list for a while. I kept putting them off until I couldn't take it any longer. I had one last can of pumpkin puree in the pantry and one final tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. It was time.

I freaked because my dough did not rise within an hour like the recipe mentioned. So, I did what any normal person would do - I went ice skating! I skated for about an hour, and after I returned, my dough had finally doubled. See what a bit of skating can do?

Although these pretzels were time-consuming, they were actually very easy to make. The resulting pretzel was nice and chewy, and the pumpkin pie spice mixture on top gave it good fall flavor. You could certainly make a plain cinnamon or plain sugar topping, or even leave it off altogether. The original recipe calls for a cream cheese drizzle, but I left that off to make them more booty-friendly.

I think these are my final pumpkin recipe for the year, but no promises.  =)

Pumpkin spiced pretzels

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp warm water
• 1 tbsp active dried yeast
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (plus 1/3 cup more for kneading)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, melted coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg

Dipping solution

• 1 cup hot water
• 2 tsp baking soda

Rolling mixture

• 2 TBSP butter, melted
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and 1 TBSP of the brown sugar. Stir, and set aside until mixture gets frothy (about 10 minutes).

In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, spice mix and the remaining brown sugar together. Pour in the yeast mixture, oil, pumpkin and egg to the bowl.  Mix until the ingredients come together. .

Place the dough mixture onto a slightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, and gradually add the 1/3 cup of flour until the dough becomes smooth yet slightly sticky. Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled large bowl and cover with a clean towel . Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size (my dough took over 2 hours).

Divide the dough into 10-12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Lightly dust the balls with flour to keep them from sticking to the work surface.

Roll each dough ball into a thin rope about 20″ long.

Shape the rope into a U, and cross the ends of the U over each other (it should look like an upside down breast cancer ribbon). Fold the ends of the "ribbon" towards you to make the pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough so they stick.

In a shallow bowl, combine the hot water and baking soda. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda mixture and place onto a parchment-lined baking tray (I lined my tray with my imitation Silpat). Let the pretzels rest.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake the pretzels for 7-10 minutes, and make sure to rotate the tray 180 degrees halfway through baking, until the pretzels are golden brown.

Melt the butter and set aside.

In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the granulated sugar and spice mix.

Once the pretzels are out of the oven, let them cool slightly (2-3 minutes). Then brush the pretzels with the melted butter and dip them into the spiced sugar mixture to coat.

Yield: 10-12 pretzels

Source: Slightly adapted from Top with Cinnamon

Pretzels have been on my baking bucket list for a while. I kept putting them off until I couldn't take it any longer. I had one last can of pumpkin puree in the pantry and one final tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. It was time.

I freaked because my dough did not rise within an hour like the recipe mentioned. So, I did what any normal person would do - I went ice skating! I skated for about an hour, and after I returned, my dough had finally doubled. See what a bit of skating can do?

Although these pretzels were time-consuming, they were actually very easy to make. The resulting pretzel was nice and chewy, and the pumpkin pie spice mixture on top gave it good fall flavor. You could certainly make a plain cinnamon or plain sugar topping, or even leave it off altogether. The original recipe calls for a cream cheese drizzle, but I left that off to make them more booty-friendly.

I think these are my final pumpkin recipe for the year, but no promises.  =)

Pumpkin spiced pretzels

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp warm water
• 1 tbsp active dried yeast
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (plus 1/3 cup more for kneading)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, melted coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg

Dipping solution

• 1 cup hot water
• 2 tsp baking soda

Rolling mixture

• 2 TBSP butter, melted
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and 1 TBSP of the brown sugar. Stir, and set aside until mixture gets frothy (about 10 minutes).

In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, spice mix and the remaining brown sugar together. Pour in the yeast mixture, oil, pumpkin and egg to the bowl.  Mix until the ingredients come together. .

Place the dough mixture onto a slightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, and gradually add the 1/3 cup of flour until the dough becomes smooth yet slightly sticky. Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled large bowl and cover with a clean towel . Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size (my dough took over 2 hours).

Divide the dough into 10-12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Lightly dust the balls with flour to keep them from sticking to the work surface.

Roll each dough ball into a thin rope about 20″ long.

Shape the rope into a U, and cross the ends of the U over each other (it should look like an upside down breast cancer ribbon). Fold the ends of the "ribbon" towards you to make the pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough so they stick.

In a shallow bowl, combine the hot water and baking soda. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda mixture and place onto a parchment-lined baking tray (I lined my tray with my imitation Silpat). Let the pretzels rest.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake the pretzels for 7-10 minutes, and make sure to rotate the tray 180 degrees halfway through baking, until the pretzels are golden brown.

Melt the butter and set aside.

In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the granulated sugar and spice mix.

Once the pretzels are out of the oven, let them cool slightly (2-3 minutes). Then brush the pretzels with the melted butter and dip them into the spiced sugar mixture to coat.

Yield: 10-12 pretzels

Source: Slightly adapted from Top with Cinnamon