Espresso Pretzels Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl stir together flour, ground espresso beans, cocoa powder, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer at low speed beat butter until just smooth. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in egg white, scraping down side of bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. Gradually beat in flour mixture until dough forms.
• Form a level teaspoon of dough into a ball and with your fingertips roll back and forth on a work surface to form a 6-inch-long rope. Form rope into a simple pretzel shape on baking sheet (2 loops with ends meeting in center). Make more cookies in same manner and arrange about 1/2 inch apart.
• Bake cookies in batches in lower third of oven until firm when lightly touched, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets on racks 5 minutes and transfer with a spatula to racks to cool completely.
• Chop chocolate and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Transfer chocolate to a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip (slightly smaller than 1/8 inch).
• Pipe thin lines of chocolate over pretzels in a back and forth motion to form stripes. Let chocolate set 30 minutes at cool room temperature. Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and chilled, 5 days.

Steps:

• Stir cocoa and espresso powders into the boiling water in a small bowl until dissolved; set aside. Meanwhile, put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until creamy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Reduce speed to medium-low. Mix in egg, then cocoa mixture. Gradually add flour, and mix until a smooth dough forms. Turn out onto a piece of plastic; pat into a square. Wrap dough, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll into balls. Shape balls into 12-inch-long ropes. Twist each rope into a pretzel shape. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush cookies with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until dry, about 35 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.