Homemade Soft Pretzels

Austin has had a terrific cold snap with temps dropping to 26 degrees- quite unusual for the area and most welcomed by me. I LOVE cold weather. So I was rooting around in the icebox looking for things to cook with when I discovered some bagel dough tucked away in the back. The Hubs has been on a pretzel and Gulden's mustard kick lately, so I thought perhaps the bagel dough would make tasty soft pretzels. Admittedly they kind of lost their shape when they baked, but that didn't affect their taste! Sadly I can no longer eat wheat, but they received two thumbs up from the Hubs and he suggested we post them as another great use for our homemade bagel dough.

I defrosted the dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap until they doubled in size, about 2.5 hours. Once defrosted,  I put a large pot of water to boil on the stove and added 2 tbs malt syrup. You could sub honey and 2 tbs baking soda.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

I rolled out a ball of dough into a long strip- about 15 inches, twisted into a pretzel shape and then lowered in the boiling water about 30 seconds...

I removed with a slotted spoon to a baking sheet covered with buttered parchment paper, brushed with egg yolk and sprinkled some Maldon sea salt on them...

Then I popped them in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown and served them to my sweetie with some Gulden's mustard. He said they were warm and chewy and he's never buying frozen Super Pretzels again. What impressed me the most is that the dough has been in the ice box for over a year and held up beautifully! Well worth the hassle. I better go make him some dough and some gluten free dough for me to see how that turns out. Stay tuned...

Bagel Pretzels.... Yes.

Caprese Breakfast Croissant Sandwich

I was filled with delight when an authentic French bakery opened directly across the street from my neighborhood a few years ago. Baguette et Chocolat is run by a remarkably gifted Versailles born French baker trained at the esteemed Institut National de la Boulangerie Pâtisserie and I promise you, his goods taste EXACTLY like those found in a french patisserie. I'm off of wheat for right now, so thought I'd torture myself a bit by posting this sublime sandwich, which is a perfect start to a lazy Saturday.

My hubs kindly suggested we pick up some fresh croissants before they ran out (usually by 10am- they are that good!). It's no secret that I adore caprese salad and I just happened to have some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil and a farm fresh egg, so thought they'd make a happy little partnership; I was correct. Fabulousness!!

And it's super easy... just thinly slice a tomato, salt it and layer it on a slightly warmed croissant with fresh mozzarella, basil, a drizzle of peppery olive oil and a fried egg. Nestle into a buttery croissant and enjoy!

Fold it closed and take a big bite...

**

And if you don't live near Westlake or Bee Cave, you should still make the 20 minute drive from town to try this lovely little cafe. And don't be in a rush! It's very French and operates at a French pace. The salad nicoise is also a huge hit as are the fresh, eggy crepes filled with either sweet or savory treats.

**note to my trainer... I didn't eat the hash browns - I promise. but I DID eat the whole sandwich and it was worth the calories!!

Sugar Bacon with Meyer Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

 

Bacon seems to be the "it" thing these days. Well it's always been the "it" thing for me and once you make this super easy sugar cured bacon, you won't ever mess with frying up greasy bacon in a pan again. Part of the reason we choose to stay home for Sunday brunch rather than go out for brunch at a restaurant, is that sadly most places don't cook their bacon properly. It's always undercooked and rubbery, while ours is crispy and crunchy and sweet. It's really bacon candy when you think about it. And what's not to love about bacon candy??? Pair it with some tasty meyer lemon blueberry pancakes and you've got yourself a pretty sweet deal.

SUGAR BACON

1 package of good quality center cut bacon such as Applegate Farms "Sunday Bacon".

4 tbs brown sugar

a hearty few cracks of fresh black pepper

Tools: baking pan, aluminum foil, cooling rack, non stick spray

Layer a baking pan with foil, cover with a cooling rack, spray the rack with non stick spray and lay the bacon across the cooling rack. Generously sprinkle sugar all over the bacon, crack fresh pepper over it and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until golden and crispy. Clean up is a cinch! You just throw away the foil and clean the cooling rack. No greasy mess and the fat drips away from the bacon, making it so perfect and crunchy.

MEYER LEMON PANCAKES

These are super easy! Just get your favorite pancake mix (I like Kerbey Lane Buttermilk pancakes)

The key here is to NOT follow the directions on the box. Instead of water I use buttermilk, add 1 tbs of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, the zest of one meyer lemon and a dollop of ricotta cheese plus a beaten egg. Then add some frozen or fresh blueberries and make cute little silver dollar sized pancakes on a griddle or pan heated to 375 degrees. I make these during the last 10 minutes of bacon cooking. Serve with a fried egg and some hash browns and you've got a feast to rival any brunch at the local restaurant!

Oh my goodness... Is that a bottle of champs I spotted in the fridge??  Why I don't mind if I do!