Peanut Oil Soft Pretzels

Spring and summer are so close. As in, looking at popsicle maker molds on Amazon, ice cream and ice cream sandwiches marked obscenely low at the grocery store, looking at new blenders to make margaritas with all summer, all of my pretty summer dresses calling my name in my closet, close. I think this might be the most excited I’ve ever been for summer. The winter was not even nearly as terrible here as it was in other places but I’m still far too excited. I keep trying to tell my friends I’m just going to layout everywhere I can splayed all on the ground like a starfish on a rock soaking in all of the sun.

These pretzels (or rather any soft pretzel) reminds me of two things: summer and baseball games. I spent many hours during my childhood, sitting in the hot sun during my brothers’ baseball games with my parents. I didn’t complain very often about having to go though I can tell you I would’ve much rather been at home with the A/C and my books or some cartoons. But instead I had my little seat, my books, my drawing supplies, my CDs and CD players along with a full stock of batteries. Aside from not complaining too much, I didn’t want for much during the games except to get my usual pretzel with cheese. If I got my pretzel, I was a very happy camper. At one point my mother found the giant soft pretzels at Smart&Final and these cheese cups too. That was a game changer in my eyes.

But the days of baseball games are long gone and the giant soft pretzels in the freezer section are no longer that giant anymore. But I was excited to discover how easy they are to make in the comforts of my home. Now that I’m older I’ve shied away from the cheese sauce that comes in the cup. Too many unpronounceable ingredients for me. Turns out cheese sauce is also very easy to make. The pretzel oil in these soft pretzels adds some depth to it.

PEANUT OIL SOFT PRETZELS  
Inspired from Sally of Sally’s Baking Addiction
For the pretzel dough:
2 c wheat flour
1/4 c La Tourangelle Roasted Peanut Oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick melted butter

For the dipping cheese sauce:
2 c Yancey’s Fancy Smoked Gouda Cheese (shredded)
2 c milk
1/4 c chopped jalapeños
2 tablespoons potato starch flour or regular all-purpose flour (optional)

DIRECTIONS

To make the pretzel dough:
1) Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2) Dissolve yeast in warm water then add in salt stirring until combined.
3) Begin adding in wheat flour 1 cup at a time, stirring after each cup. Add in butter, baking powder, baking soda and peanut oil.  Mix with hand mixer or spoon until dough is thick. Continue adding in flour until the dough doesn’t stick to your mixer or spoon (or in my case my fingers when I tried to start kneading it too soon).
3) Put dough onto a floured surface. Knead the dough into a ball. When done, begin the pretzel shaping process by pulling small or large pieces of dough from the main dough ball. I tried to take out large pieces as I wanted them to be as big as I could make them.
4) Roll the dough into a rope and begin to make the pretzel shape by criss-crossing the ends of the rope toward the bottom of the pretzel. If you want to get fancy you can make a braid shape with the twists.
5) Place into oven for 10 minutes. Take out and let cool.

To make the dipping cheese:
1) On stove top, pour milk into pot and put on medium heat until milk starts to boil.
2) Pour shredded cheese and jalapeños into the pot, being sure to stir in until milk turns soft yellow hue. Add in desired amount of seasoning. For thicker cheese I used 2 tablespoons of potato starch but flour works too.
3) Cook until cheese thickens and all cheese is melted.

This post used products given to me by La Tourangelle Oils for the purpose of recipe development. All opinions are my own.