Pretzels in bite-size form. Not only is caramel melted into the dough but these bites are also bursting with lots of ooey gooey caramel pieces. And don’t forget about the cream cheese dipping sauce – Mmmm!

Apparently there’s caramel on my mind this week. And yummy carbs, but that’s not really news to anyone, is it? When I set out to make today’s recipe, the wind chill outside was somewhere below zero. Don’t even ask me for exact temperatures. Once we go below zero, I stop keeping track. All I know is that it’s pretty darn cold outside and the best thing for me to do is to stay warm, sip on a cup of tea and do what I do best.

Baking treats that will make you forget about any and everything around you. Even frigid temps. I am speaking from experience, guys.

I am having some serious feelings about these tiny bites. Aside from their cuteness, which I can hardly get over, they’re also winning in taste, flavor and every other category a single food item could possibly win.

You NEED them in your life.

If you’ve ever wanted to make homemade pretzels or pretzel buns from scratch, but have never dared to, I would definitely recommend using this recipe. I have made a couple of different recipes when it comes to pretzels and this one is by far the easiest. For the first time ever I let our bread machine do most of the work. I’ve always wanted to give it more purpose than one and see how the dough compares to traditionally made yeast dough.

I was beyond impressed with the results. I simply placed all of the ingredients into the machine and utilized the dough setting to do the hardest part for me. After a couple of hours, I simply removed the dough, formed it into tiny balls, dunked them in boiling water and let the oven do its magic. I spent less than an hour actively working on these, which totally blew my mind. I couldn’t be more obsessed.

And since I was going for pretzel bites that are perfect to serve as a fun dessert, I tweaked the recipe I found a bit and amongst other things added caramel bits to the dough. It gave the dough such a beautiful color and definitely infused the whole thing with the unique taste and aroma of caramel as well. Afterwards, I did work some additional caramel bits into the dough. I wasn’t playing around. I wanted caramel in every shape and form.

You already know what the addition of sea salt does. Besides the amazingness of salty and sweet together, it’s a must when it comes to pretzels.

I hope I’m not the only one who’s super excited about these. Served alongside the cream cheese dipping sauce, I think it’s safe to say that these were the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time.

Hope you all enjoy! XOXO!

Caramel Pretzel Bites with a Cream Cheese Dipping Sauce

2014-11-18 16:22:01

Serves 8

It doesn't get much better than dipping homemade pretzel bites into a delicious cream cheese dipping sauce. Especially when they're bursting with incredible caramel. So good!

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For the Pretzel Bites

1. 1 1/8 cups water
2. 3 cups all-purpose flour
3. 3 tablespoons brown sugar
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1 cup caramel bits, divided
7. 1 quart water
8. 1/4 cup baking soda
9. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10. coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

For the Cream Cheese Dipping Sauce

1. 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2. 1/3 confectioners' sugar
3. 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

1. 1. Add the water, flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt, and 1/2 cup caramel bits to the pan of your bread machine. Select the dough setting.
2. 2. Once cycle is completed, flour your work surface and place dough on top. Using your hands, work in remaining caramel bits. Divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 15-inch rope and cut into approximately 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and set aside. I covered mine with a clean kitchen towel to keep the dough balls from drying out.
3. 3. Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add baking soda. Bring to a boil. Line a plate with paper towels and place next to the stove. Also, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
4. 4. Once the water is boiling, drop 4-5 balls into the water and boil for 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove balls from the water and place onto the paper towel-lined plate (to get rid of excess water) and then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat.
5. 5. Place pretzel bites into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Immediately brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt.
6. 6. For the cream cheese dipping sauce, simply mix together all of the ingredients until smooth. Adding more milk for a thinner consistency or more confectioners' sugar for a thicker consistency, if desired.

Notes

1. Pretzel Bites are best when enjoyed on the same day, but can be stored for up to 2 days.

Adapted from dineanddish.net

Adapted from dineanddish.net

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