Let's Get Twisted

...pretzels, that is! Who would turn down a warm and fresh, buttery soft pretzel?? A crazy person, that's who. With pretzel stores and kiosks at almost every mall and several frozen varieties to choose from, pretzels are a popular snack. And ahem, you can take it from me, the pretzel master, that homemade is best. Yes, that's right...my very first job was twisting, baking (and taste-testing!) at Auntie Anne's. Nothing compares to the fresh-out-of-the-oven taste that making them from scratch provides.
It takes a little time and effort to make these perfect plates of delight but is worth every bite! Here's a recipe I adapted from one I found online. The OG was a little intense for me. I'm sure the extra steps would translate into even better flavor but I'm a mom on a mission, remember?? Fast and easy is my mantra so I cut a few corners and was transported back to the old days of slinging these babies at the mall. So jump on the bandwagon and join me on a journey of pure delight! I made salted and cinnamon/sugar and I'm not proud of this but found myself sopping up the butter/cinnamon/sugar mix with the pretzels the instant they came out of the oven. "Kids, you sure you don't want one...??" I was a happy mommy! I don't suggest baking these ahead of time as they do not taste nearly as good day-old, but I don't think you'll be able to keep them from getting eaten anyway!! Oh, and if you don't have time to make the dough, you can always substitute a frozen bread dough or pizza dough.

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
**Coarse salt, butter and cinnamon/sugar for topping optional**

Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add flour and salt and mix until combined. Turn out and knead until ball forms. Place in clean, greased bowl and cover until doubled, about an hour. Once doubled, divide dough into 8 equal pieces and twist into pretzel shape. Bake 12-15 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. Immediately coat with melted butter and top with either coarse salt or cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Adapted from http://gastronomyblog.com/2011/03/26/homemade-soft-pretzels/