Soft Beer Pretzels With Beer Cheese Dip Recipes

Steps:

• In a bowl, mash the cream cheese with the ranch dressing mix until thoroughly combined, then stir in the Cheddar cheese. Mix in beer, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency (add more for a thinner dip). Stir in the seasoned salt and cayenne pepper. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Steps:

• Make the soft pretzel bites: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack covered with paper towels.
• Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot. (It may seem like a small amount of water for a large pot, but once you add baking soda it'll foam up.)
• While the water comes to a boil, place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Roll each portion into a long rope. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces.
• When the water is boiling, add the baking soda and sugar. Cook the dough pieces, in batches, for 30 seconds. Drain on the paper towels.
• Whisk together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Dip the tops of the pretzels in the egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake until the pretzel bites are nicely browned, 9 to 10 minutes.
• For the beer cheese: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the beer until the mixture is smooth, then add the half-and-half. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and House Seasoning. Gradually add the cheese and stir until smooth. Season to taste. Serve the pretzel bites with the beer cheese.
• Stir together the garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Instructions To Make Soft Beer Pretzels Warm the beer to 110-115 degrees F. In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add the warm beer, sugar, kosher salt, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes, or until it starts to get foamy. Add the butter and the flour. Turn the mixer to low to medium speed and mix until dough comes together. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and clinging to the dough hook (not stuck to the side of the bowl). In a clean bowl, add enough oil to coat the inside of the bowl (can spray with cooking spray or add about 1 teaspoon of oil and brush to coat inside of bowl) Quickly form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl, turning once to coat the dough in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, then allow to rise for about 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets (Use silpat or parchment paper) In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil. Meanwhile, shape pretzels. Turn the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and divide into 8 pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangle, then roll into a cigar shape. Pinch the seams together. Then roll the dough out into a 24 inch rope. Bring the two ends of the rope up to form a "U" shape. Twist the two end pieces around each other once, then cross the end pieces back down to the bottom of the "U" to complete the pretzel shape. (See above photo) When all pretzels are shaped, add them 2 at a time to the pot of boiling water, allow them to boil for 30 seconds. Then remove from the water with a spider or large spatula and place on the baking sheets. Brush each pretzel with the egg mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned. Serve with beer cheese dip (below) To make the beer cheese dip Preheat oven to 350 degrees F In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Add the grated cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of the grated mozzarella, stir to combine. Add the garlic powder, beer and hot sauce, stir until completely mixed. Pour into a baking dish* and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella on top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until melted and top is golden. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve. Recipe Notes *I used a 6.25 inch mini cast iron skillet. The skillet was quite full, so I wouldn't recomend using a smaller dish.