Beer N Gouda Pretzels Recipes

SOFT BEER PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat beer to 110°-115°; remove from heat. Stir in yeast until dissolved. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 425°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 8 balls. Roll each into a 24-in. rope. Curve ends of each rope to form a circle; twist ends once and lay over opposite side of circle, pinching ends to seal., In a Dutch oven, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels, 2 at a time, into boiling water. Cook 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels., Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool. , Freeze option: Freeze cooled pretzels in freezer containers. To use, thaw at room temperature or microwave each pretzel on high until heated through, 20-30 seconds.

BEER 'N' GOUDA PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, salt and caraway seeds. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, beer and oil to 120°-130°; add to dry ingredients. Beat just until moistened. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 14 equal portions; roll each into a 20-in. rope. Cover and let rest 10 minutes longer. , Twist into pretzel shapes. Place on greased baking sheets; brush with eggs. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. , Brush again with eggs; sprinkle with Gouda and coarse salt. Bake 12-15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm.

GOUDA-AND-BEER FONDUE BREAD BOWL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the bread bowl, slice off the top 1/4 of the bread with a serrated knife and set aside. Hollow out the loaf by cutting a circle around the inside of the bread leaving a 1-inch border. Pull the soft bread out with your hands, making sure to leave about a 1-inch border at the bottom of the bowl as well. Cube the bread you removed and set it aside for dipping.
• Place the bread bowl on a baking sheet and place in the oven until it is heated through and golden on the inside, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to make the fondue, combine the Gouda and Emmentaler cheeses with the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Toss with your fingers until the cheese strands are coated.
• Combine the beer and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a medium non-reactive saucepan over medium heat until it is steaming but not simmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cheese in large handfuls, stirring with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking and stirring until all the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Once smooth, stir in the mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season with salt.
• Remove the bread bowl from the oven and let it cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Rub the inside all over with the cut sides of the garlic clove. Pour the hot fondue into the warm bread bowl. Serve with the apples, pears and the reserved bread cubes.

BEER CHEESE AND SOFT PRETZEL BITES

Steps:

• Make the soft pretzel bites: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack covered with paper towels.
• Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot. (It may seem like a small amount of water for a large pot, but once you add baking soda it'll foam up.)
• While the water comes to a boil, place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Roll each portion into a long rope. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces.
• When the water is boiling, add the baking soda and sugar. Cook the dough pieces, in batches, for 30 seconds. Drain on the paper towels.
• Whisk together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Dip the tops of the pretzels in the egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake until the pretzel bites are nicely browned, 9 to 10 minutes.
• For the beer cheese: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the beer until the mixture is smooth, then add the half-and-half. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and House Seasoning. Gradually add the cheese and stir until smooth. Season to taste. Serve the pretzel bites with the beer cheese.
• Stir together the garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.