3 Recipes to Brighten Your Day

Three Recipes to Brighten Your Day

Compiled by Jeff Pauls

At home more these days? Kids want something different to try? Why not gather in the kitchen and try a couple of these recipes? Reminder: at a safe distance! :)

Some of these recipes call for specific brands of products, but don’t forget, Kauffman’s has most of these items on hand (generally as bulk products). You can stop in and pick them up, or, maybe even better, check to see if we have the alternative to order online.

Let’s begin with a fun one from an old familiar, Quaker Oats®…

Soft Oaty Pretzels

Whether it’s the salty taste or crazy shapes, pretzels are always a fun snack. The giant ones are delicious and take some time while the smaller ones are perfect for munching on. Try some Quaker oats in your next batch and put a new spin on the delicious and twisted treat.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 3‑1/2 cups all‑purpose flour, divided
• 1-1/4 cups Large Flake Quaker® Oats or Quick Quaker® Oats (uncooked)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 package (1/4 oz.) quick‑rising yeast
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup Large Flake Quaker® Oats or Quick Quaker® Oats (uncooked)

Instructions:

1. For pretzels, combine 2 cups flour, oats, sugar, yeast and salt in large bowl; mix well. Heat milk and water until very warm (120°F to 130°F); add margarine. Add to flour mixture.
2. Blend at low speed on electric mixer until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl.
3. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour if dough is sticky. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let dough rest on floured surface 10 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or lightly spray 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.
5. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12‑inch long rope; form into pretzel, letter or number shape. Place pretzels on baking sheet.
6. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rest 10 minutes or until slightly risen. Brush tops of pretzel with beaten egg; sprinkle with oats, pressing lightly.
7. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. (If baking both baking sheets at one time, rotate sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time.)
8. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire rack. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Easy Soft Homemade Pretzels (gluten-free)

Yield: 16 (See website if you want to double or triple this recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup warm water (105-110F)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup oat flour (make your own here)
• 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour*
• 2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
• 5 cups water
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water, whisked together for an egg wash
• coarse Kosher salt, for sprinkling
• olive oil, for brushing

Instructions:

Combine water, honey, salt and yeast in either a medium mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow this to sit for at least 5 minutes, or until the yeast has bloomed and looks like beer foam.

Add the oat flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and butter. Mix by hand using a wooden spoon, or use the dough hook attachment on low to mix until the ingredients are well combined. Begin kneading by hand, or increase the speed of a mixer to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and the bowl is clean, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a towel and place in a warm spot. Allow to rise for 1 hour. (Note: You will not see a noticeable rise.)

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a large baking sheet, or two smaller baking sheets, with parchment paper. Brush lightly with olive oil. Set aside.

Combine the 5 cups of water and baking soda in a large, wide pot. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

Meanwhile, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 16 equal pieces. Knead each piece of dough in your hands for at least 30 seconds, until the dough has a texture similar to play-doh. Add a drop or two of additional oil if needed and continue to knead until the dough is soft and pliable.

Gently roll each piece of dough into a rope 10″-12″ in length. (Note: Because the dough has no gluten, there is no natural elasticity. If the dough breaks while you’re shaping, simply squish back into a ball, knead for 5-10 seconds and try again.)

Make a U-shape with the dough and cross the ends over each other twice. Fold the ends downward and press gently into the bottom of the U-shape. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. (Note: Using just the last 1-2″ of each end of rope yields the best shaped pretzel.)

Working with 1-2 pretzels at a time (however many will comfortably fit in your pot without crowding them), boil the pretzels in the baking soda for 30 seconds. Turn the pretzel over after 20 seconds if it is not fully submerged.

Return the boiled pretzels back to the baking sheet and brush the tops with the egg wash. Sprinkle liberally (or to taste) with coarse Kosher salt.

Bake until medium dark brown, 13-16 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:

If you don’t have this flour, you may substitute any type of flour you have on hand.

Recipe inspired by Brown Eyed Baker

Peanut Butter Pretzel (with Oat Flour)

Peanut butter pretzels bites made with oat flour. No bake, lite peanut butter chocolate treat.

Yield: 29

Prep Time: 30 min

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (130g + 38g = 168g) creamy peanut butter (not natural)
• 2 tablespoons (44g) honey
• 1 cup (97g) oat flour*
• 2 to 3 60g bags of chocolate-covered pretzels

Instructions:

1. Detach the chocolate-covered pretzels if they are clumped together. Don't do this if the pretzels are cold (if kept in the fridge) because it will be very tough to split them due to hardened chocolate. They will just snap easily. Once detached, arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill in the fridge so it will be less messy to assemble them.
2. Stir peanut butter and honey in a medium bowl. Add oat flour and mix until grains are well moistened and the mixture forms into a ball. Scoop 1/2 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball With your palm, flatten it like a thick burger patty. Making them into patties will also prevent the pretzels from breaking while pressing them together. Arrange onto a plate (or you may stack them to save space). This dough makes 29 to 30 small patties.
3. Place one patty between two chocolate pretzels then press gently, we want the patty to stick to the pretzels. Repeat with the remaining patties and pretzels. Serve

Notes:

*How to make oat flour: Pulse rolled or quick oats in a food processor until finely ground.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container or cover with foil/plastic wrap. Do not stack them, the pretzels will stick again when the chocolate hardens. Let them sit at room temperature before serving to soften up the peanut butter patties. Consume within 3 to 4 days or just before the pretzels lose their crunch.

By Sheryl | When Hungry

Photo by Wesual Click on Unsplash