By Nora
We are big fans of Fall around these parts (we are from New England, after all) and so once the cool weather rolls around, bring on Octoberfest (or Oktoberfest, if you are particular to the authentic German spelling). This, of course, means that we have many, many varieties of Octoberfest beer in our house, because my husband is slightly obsessed. And what's the perfect food to pair with Octoberfest beer? Soft pretzels, of course. Although unless you live near a mall and have easy access to once of those pretzel stands, they're not always easy to come by. However, I discovered that it is very easy to make your own soft pretzels at home, and once you do your family will worship and revere you as the god(dess) that you are. I used this recipe form Alton Brown on the Food Network site, and they turned out great. Check it:
Don't be intimidated by boiling the pretzels in water/baking soda before baking (this was the part I was a little nervous about). It only takes a few minutes and it really makes a difference in the texture and taste. And I would definitely recommend buying some pretzel salt to go on them for that authentic soft pretzel taste (but kosher salt works in a pinch, too).
P.S. The day after I made these for my husband, he volunteered to take my daughter out for a few hours so I could have some "time to myself". Without me even asking. Behold the power of the soft pretzel.
I made these last weekend and they were fantastic. Thanks for the tip!
Posted by: Blythe | September 28, 2012 at 03:26 PM