Gift Guide 
Consider this: Instead of buying that bag of pretzels, buy a package of yeast and let kids make their own pretzels in crazy shapes. Their original edible works of art will put ballpark and city-street pretzels to shame. Kids mix the dough, knead it, and twist it into any-which-way shapes. A brush of egg wash is the “self tanner” that gives pretzels their golden-brown shade in the oven. Sprinkled with salt, maybe dipped in a little mustard—they’re delicious. More, please!
What You’ll Need
- 1 package yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- Coarse salt
- Mustard or honey mustard for dipping, if you like
What to Do
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil.
- Sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water. Add the sugar and stir. Let stand until mixture foams.
- Put the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the yeast mixture and stir.
- Sprinkle flour on the counter and knead the dough until it is smooth.
- Roll pieces of dough into ropes and make fun-shaped or traditional pretzels.
- Lay pretzels on the foil-lined cookie sheet.
- Beat an egg with a fork.
- Brush pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake pretzels for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a rack. Enjoy—with mustard, if you like.
