Caramel Apple Soft Pretzels Recipe 455

Steps:

• For the pretzels: Pour the warm milk into a medium bowl and sprinkle the yeast over. Let the yeast bloom until softened and foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the brown sugar, vanilla and 1 cup of the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Stir in the softened butter until incorporated, then add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, chopped apple, cinnamon and kosher salt to make a sticky dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly buttered large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Punch the dough down to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If the dough seems tight, cover it and let rest until it relaxes.) Divide the dough into 6 pieces.
• Working with one piece at a time, roll and stretch the dough with the palms of your hands into a 24-inch-long rope. Lift the ends of the rope to make a U shape, then cross one end over the other twice to make a double twist in the middle. Fold down the ends and attach them to the bottom of the U, creating a pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups hot water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, let some of the excess water drip off, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Bake until the pretzels are puffed and deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the caramel glaze: Melt the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until completely melted and smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream until combined, then transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth (it should be thick enough to drizzle over the pretzels but not so thin that it drips away). Immediately transfer to a small piping bag or resealable bag, snip the corner and drizzle over the cooled pretzels. Let the glaze set, about 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Add the sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir a few times before the sugar begins to boil to combine the ingredients. Attach a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan and bring the syrup to a boil. Cook until the syrup begins to turn an amber color, then swirl the syrup to even out the color. Continue to cook until the syrup is a deep amber and the thermometer reads between 375 and 380 degrees F, then remove from the heat. Carefully pour in the cream and gently whisk to combine. Stir in the butter, vanilla and a pinch of salt until smooth. Keep off the heat but keep the thermometer attached to the pan.
• Pierce the apples through the stem ends about halfway through with candy apple sticks. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• When the temperature of the caramel reads around 190 degrees F, dip an apple, using the stick as a handle and swirling to coat completely. Allow excess caramel to drip off the bottom and use a spatula to help remove any large amount of caramel, as it will pool around the apple when you set it down to cool on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining apples, gently heating the caramel on the stovetop over low heat, stirring, if it gets too thick for dipping. Allow the caramel to set and cool completely before serving or wrapping apples, about 1 hour. (See Cook's Note.)

Steps:

• Place the warm water, sugar and 2 tsp. salt in a bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Let it foam for 5 minutes. Using the dough hook, mix in the flour (4 1/2 C) a little at a time along with the melted butter. On low speed mix until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl, approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, spray the bowl with non stick spray, then place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until dough doubles in size. Meanwhile, peel and chop the apples into small chunks, toss the apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 TBS. flour. After the dough has doubled, pour the apples into the dough and knead to combine. Preheat the oven to 450*. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray, Set aside. Bring the 3 qts. of water and the baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Dump the dough out onto a slightly floured work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces or 16 for smaller pretzels. Spray a work surface with nonstick spray. Roll out each piece into a long rope (24" for large 12" for smaller pretzels) The apples will pop out but keep rolling and you will incorporate them back in. Make a U shape with the rope, take the ends and cross them over each other twice, then press onto the bottom of the U to form a pretzel. Put the pretzels into the boiling water ONE AT A TIME, for 30 seconds. Remove from water using 1-2 large spatulas. Put onto the parchment covered cookie sheet. Brush each one with the beaten egg and water wash mixture. Bake until dark golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before drizzling with caramel and sea salt.