New York City Soft Street Pretzels

Pretzels
1 cup hot water
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup (additional) flour

Pretzel Dip
4 cups hot water
5 tablespoons baking soda

To make pretzels, combine hot water and yeast in a mixing bowl. When dissolved, add the first amount of flour, butter, salt and sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Stir in the additional flour, and knead until the dough loses its stickiness.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover, allowing it to rise until it has doubled in size. Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal pieces.

With the palms of your hands, roll each piece into 18-inch ropes. Twist and loop into desired shape. Place on greased baking sheet and let rise until doubled again in size.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Ready a dipping solution of hot water and baking soda. Mix together in a glass or plastic bowl. (Do not use aluminum.)

Dip pretzels into the solution and return them to the greased sheet. The dipping helps achieve a nice brown outer surface.

Sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt and bake until browned, about 12 minutes. Cool pretzels on a wire rack to prevent them from getting soggy.

Onion Pretzels

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 (20 ounce) package broken pretzels

Melt butter. Put pretzels in small roasting pan. Pour melted butter over pretzels. Empty package of Lipton onion soup mix over pretzels and mix well. Bake uncovered at 250 degrees F for 40 minutes. Mix thoroughly about every 10 minutes.

Cinnamon-Raisin Soft Pretzels

1 package yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cake flour
2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in brown sugar and salt. Add cake flour and stir well. Add enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. Stir in raisins. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top of dough. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes.

Punch down dough and divide in14 small balls. Roll each ball into a long rope. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Dip each rope in soda water and drain on paper towels. Form into pretzel shape and place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Brush pretzels with butter then dip in cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Ranch Pretzels

1 (20 ounce) package large thick pretzels
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dill weed
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Break pretzels into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over pretzels. Stir to coat. Pour into an ungreased 15 x 10-inch baking pan. Bake at 200 degrees F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Soft Pretzels

2 (16 ounce) loaves frozen bread dough
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon water
Coarse or kosher salt

Separate thawed bread into 24 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Roll each ball into a 14 1/2-inch long rope. Plan and design pretzel shapes. Put pretzels one inch apart on a greased cookie sheet. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Brush pretzels with combined egg white and water. Sprinkle with salt. Place a shallow pan containing 1 inch of boiling water on bottom rack of oven. Bake pretzels at 350 degrees F on rack above water for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Grilled New York Soft Pretzels

2 1/4 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seed

Mix baking mix and milk until a dough forms. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Gently smooth into a ball on surface dusted with baking mix. Knead 5 times; divide into 6 equal parts. Roll each part into a 15-inch rope. Place rope on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bring left end of rope up over the first loop to form a pretzel shape; press end into dough to seal. Enlarge the holes in the loops with fingers. Brush one side of each pretzel with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seed.

Grill pretzels on aluminum foil over hot coals until golden brown on each side 7 to 9 minutes.

Serve with mustard.

Makes 6.