Thursday, June 16, 2011

Prosciutto and Cheddar Pretzel Bites with Jalapeno Mustard

Prosciutto and Cheddar Pretzel Bites with Jalapeno Mustard

This was my other contribution to the slumber party. I figured we would be in the mood for something snacky and indeed we were. Chips are fine, but here is a way to kind of class up your snack table. After my successful pass at pretzels a few months ago, I was interested in making more. The only thing is that pretzels are kind of a time consuming process. Much of that period is downtime so you can do other things like make donuts, but I think these are even more of a treat because of the work that goes in to them. That said, the work is totally worth it because these are delicious. They definitely curb a salty snack craving, but there is a hint of sweetness in the pretzel itself and more than a hint in the honey mustard dressing.

Prosciutto and Cheddar Pretzel Bites with Jalapeno Mustard
(Adapted from Gourmet, October 2009)

*Note, I used a smoked prosciutto because the original recipe called for country ham which I did not have, but smoked prosciutto is similar in flavor.

Makes about 36 bites

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar, divided
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees)
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped prosciutto
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
6 cups water
4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons wildflower honey
2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded fresh jalapenos
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pretzel salt or coarse salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl, stir together the yeast, 1 teaspoon brown syagr, and warm water. Let it stand for 5-8 minutes until foamy. If the mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.  In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar into the warm milk until dissolved.

Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and the milk mixture to the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until soft dough forms. Add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time if necessary. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it to form a smooth ball. Transfer the dough ball to a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hanfs with flour, then gently roll and stretch one piece of dough to form a 12-inch long rope. Flatten the dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12x4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Press one quarter of the proscitto and cheese into the lower third of the rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the bottom edge. Stretch the bottom of the dough up over the filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces and transfer to the baking pan. Make 3 more ropes with the remaining dough, prosciutto, and cheese and cut them into pieces. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes. The dough will rise slightly.

Bring 6 cups of water to a gentle boil in a 4 or 5 quart saucepan. Reduce the heat and stir in baking soda. Cook the pretzel bites in batches in gently simmering water, turning once until slightly puffed, about 20 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pretzel bites back to the sheet pans.

Bake the pretzel bites until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.

Brush the warm pretzel bites with butter and sprinkle with salt. Meanwhile, stir together the Dijon, honey, and jalapenos. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve the pretzel bites warm or at room temperature with the jalapeno mustard for dipping.

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18 comments:

Becca said...

I definitely just choked on a sip of water this looks so incredible!

Becca

Erica said...

mmmm homemade pretzels are SO worth the time! These look amazing. Josh is a huge huge huge prosciutto fan. I must make!

Banana Wonder said...

You have really got me inspired to make pretzels now! Adult slumber party? What a fantastic idea.

Rachel said...

Well you inspired me to make regular soft pretzels a few months ago, and now I might have to follow suit with these as well - prosciutto and cheddar... sounds so good.

Joanne said...

these escalate regular old bar fare to a whole new level!

vanillasugarblog said...

wow esi for real? these are crazy good looking. i'm quite afraid to make them being bite size and all lol

Kat said...

Pretzels are something I have yet to try, but keep thinking about. These look amazing and yummy! This might be the push I need!

Allison said...

These look insanely good. I have been dying to make homemade pretzels but, I fear I will not be able to stop eating them. Add prosciutto and cheddar and I am a goner!

marla said...

These are such fun & unique pretzel bites! Love the prosciutto.

Kerstin said...

Yum, these look fabulous. And I love that they're bite sized - perfect for snacking!

The Food Librarian said...

Must. Make.

Pretty much that simple. Must make!

- mary

Dax said...

That looks awesome!

lisa is cooking said...

The jalapeno mustard sounds so great with these! I made pretzel bites once before, but I didn't even think of making a dipping sauce. Next time!

Kristen said...

Oh my goodness..... I love anything homemade pretzel. This looks amazing!

Unknown said...

I love love pretzels. The mustard looks good too.

Ellen Zames said...

Yum these preztel bites look so good!


My sisters and I just started our first themed blog hop over at http://everydaysisters.blogspot.com every Sunday!. This weeks theme is appetizers. We would love for you to come over and share these or any of your favorite appetizer recipes with our blog readers. Have a great weekend.

Ellen

Unknown said...

oh wow. once i'd start popping these, I know I wouldn't be able to stop :)

Olga @ MangoTomato said...

I want to be invited to a slumber party so that I could eat those. They look so adorable. I'd be scared of eating all of them at once.