This soft pretzel recipe is perfect for parties, munching during the football game, and everyday snacking. Pair it with a cheese dip and a beer and you have yourself the perfect party food. The pretzels turn out soft and buttery, these are even better then the mall pretzels. I am having an Oktoberfest party this year, so I will definitely be making these.

This recipe makes 12 soft pretzels. It takes about 15 minutes to make and knead the dough, about an hour to rise, and 8 minutes to bake, for a total time of 1 hour, 23 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup course salt, for topping
• 1/2 stick of melted butter

Making the pretzels:

1. Dissolve the yeast and the brown sugar in warm water. Let it stand for 6 minutes (it will get frothy).
2. Mix the flour, white sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Make a depression in the center of the dry ingredients with your fingers, and pour the yeast/sugar mixture and oil into it.
4. Mix the ingredients into a dough. It will probably be a bit dry and crumbly, so add a tablespoon or two of water to it to make it a bit sticky.
5. Knead the dough for 5 minutes (Don’t skimp here, knead it well!)
6. Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for an hour to rise (it will double in size).
7. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
8. Dissolve baking soda in hot water.
9. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
10. Roll the dough into ropes on a lightly floured surface and twist it into the shape of a pretzels.
11. Dip the pretzel into the baking soda mixture and then place it on a greased baking sheet.
12. Sprinkle with course salt.
13. Bake for 7 minutes until the tops turn brown.
14. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over pretzels when you take them out of the oven.

Additional tips:

• If you want a sweet pretzel, skip the salt and top them with cinnamon and sugar after baking.
• Garlic powder and parmesan cheese is also a fantastic topping. Pour on the butter and sprinkle it on after you take them out of the oven.
• Make large soft pretzels by dividing the dough into 6 sections instead of 12, and roll the ropes longer.
• If you are serving a large crowd, roll the section into ropes and then divide the ropes into 2 inch setions with a knife. Cut the cooking time to 5-6 minutes. Pretzel bites!
• Freeze the dough in divided sections so you can make a pretzel anytime. Just let it thaw to room temperature, dip the pretzel into the baking soda mixture, then bake.

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One of my favorite recipes is a banana bread that I make from super ripe bananas. it is the softest, tastiest banana bread you will ever bake. I always make a double batch because it is wonderful for breakfast, snacks and dessert, so it doesn’t last long!

This recipe makes one nine inch loaf. It takes about 15 minutes to put together, about an hour to bake, and a half hour to cool, for a total time of 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 small container of plain or vanilla yogurt (1/4 cup)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Supplies:

• 2 mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Measuring cups/spoons
• 9 inch loaf pan
• Non-stick baking spray or vegetable spray
• Fork or potato masher

Baking your tasty bread:

1. First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to cool.
3. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in one mixing bowl.
4. In the other mixing bowl, whisk the eggs.
5. Add the bananas to the eggs and mash them well. You can use a fork, but a potato masher (if you have one) works dandy.
6. Add the vanilla, melted butter, and yogurt into the eggs/banana mixture, and whisk it together.
7. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined, but don’t over mix it.
8. Spray you loaf pan well with the nonstick spray and pour the batter into the pan.
9. Bake it for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean from the middle.
10. Let it sit for a few minutes in the pan before you transfer it to a cooling rack (then let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes).

Additional tips:

• You can use shortening in place of the butter if you don’t have butter on hand.
• Make this recipe banana nut bread by adding a cup of chopped walnuts when you are folding wet and dry ingredients together.
• Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil to keep in the moisture.
• Don’t skip checking the bread with a knife or toothpick. The bread can look done it still be very raw in the middle.
• If you want this to be more of a desert bread, use 1 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup.

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Tea sandwiches are the perfect food to serve at social parties such as baby and wedding showers, cocktail parties, or birthday parties. They are especially good for for dressy events, when guests will be loathe to attempt any “messy foods” such as sloppy joes!

My favorite tea sandwich is a cucumber version. We served them for my wedding shower and I made them recently for my niece’s baby shower. They are refreshing and light, wonderful for summer parties, and the recipe is simple!

• 1 seedless English cucumber
• 12 pieces of white bread (use a good quality bread)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons (preferably fresh) lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1. Stir together first three ingredients until well blended, then add chives
2. Spread chive butter on bread, both bottoms and tops
3. Arrange 2 layers of thinly sliced cucumber on bottom layer (a
   mandoline makes slicing easy!)
4. If you would like you can lightly sprinkle with salt and/or freshly ground pepper
5. Add top bread
6. Cut off crusts then cut diagonally
7. Wrap well and refrigerate until served

1. To curl scallions clean and trim leaving 3-4 inches of green with white part
2. Then slice longwise through greens a few times
3. Immerse in ice water to curl
4. Place curls on sandwiches

I hope you enjoy the cucumber tea sandwiches!