everything bagel pretzel knots

 

who else wants to sprinkle everything bagel seasoning onto everything? i have been obsessed with making pretzels & pretzel knots for years, but i don't know why it has taken me this long to share an everything bagel version. my cookbook also has a couple killer pretzel based recipes that i can’t wait for you to see (yes i am going to be making shameless plugs from here on out), but for now let’s chat this everything bagel version!

we had a wicked snow storm this past weekend where justin & i didn’t leave the house. we decided the night before the storm that we were going to bunker in, watch movies all weekend & bake up some of our favourite treats. you can bet these pretzels were at the top of our list! now because it is january & we all want to be a little extra healthy, i did a mix of bob’s red mill’s all purpose flour & whole wheat flour as the base to these. truthfully, i love adding whole wheat flour to my yeast based doughs as it tends to add extra texture & flavour.

before the boiling step deters you from baking up a batch of pretzels at home, i promise you they are just as easy to make as pizza dough! don’t let that extra step stop you from making these bad boys. once you take a bite into a freshly baked one, you will realize they were worth all the time & love. lastly, they are best served alongside a whole grain mustard or honey dijon mustard.

happy winter baking!

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups water, warm to touch

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast

  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 3 1/2 cups bob's red mill's all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cups bob's red mill's whole grain flour

  • 1/2 cup baking soda (for boiling pretzels)

  • 1 egg yolk, whisked

  • 1 teaspoon garlic olive oil (optional, but recommended)

  • 1/2 cup everything bagel seasoning (see note)

directions

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer add the water. sprinkle in the yeast & let stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast begins to foam. if the yeast does not foam, check the expiration date.

  • whisk in the sugar & salt. click bowl in place on a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.

  • add the garlic, melted butter & one cup of all purpose flour. beat until combined.

  • continue adding the flour, one cup at a time until the dough comes together.

  • knead dough for an additional 5 minutes or until it becomes smooth & pulls away from the bowl.

  • shape into a ball & let rest covered for 60 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

  • once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees. line two baking sheets with parchment paper. set aside until ready to use.

  • bring a large pot of water to a boil & stir in the baking soda.

  • shape pretzel into desired knot or twist shape & boil individually for 30 seconds.

  • place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. brush with egg wash & sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.

  • once the sheet is full, bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

  • serve slightly cooled with whole grain mustard!

note: i LOVE trader joe's everything bagel seasoning, but if you can't locate it simply mix together one tablespoon of poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, minced dried garlic, minced dried onion & flaked salt to taste!

chocolate, coconut + matcha granola

 

happy hump day! i hope everyone is staying warm. it has been so cold here & i am told that we have a big snow storm headed our way this weekend. so this weekend i will be stocking up on baking supplies & spending time cozied up indoors & watching the snow fall from my kitchen window. first up on the list is to make a big batch of granola for quick & easy week day breakfasts. justin loves it over yogurt or with a splash of almond milk!

today i am sharing with you a flavourful & delicious granola recipe. it is made with chocolate, coconuts, almonds & matcha. the matcha i used is from tea forte & is actually flavoured too! i used a mix of their chocolate matcha & coconut matcha to pull from both flavours in the recipe. you can even enjoy this granola along side a steamy coconut matcha latte or chocolate matcha latte! my frother has been working over time this month because i can't get enough of my home prepared lattes.

ingredients

  • 3 cups whole rolled oats
  • 100 grams quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup cocoa nibs (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon tea forte's coconut matcha powder
  • 1 teaspoon tea forte's chocolate matcha powder
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/3 cup raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons almond milk

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • in a large mixing bowl add the oats, chocolate, coconut, almonds, cocoa nibs & matcha powder. stir until evenly combined.
  • in a separate mixing bowl whisk together the oil, honey, vanilla & almond milk.
  • pour wet mixture over the oat mixture & toss to coat.
  • transfer to prepared baking sheet. bake for 45 minutes, stirring mixture every 15 minutes for even browning.
  • allow mixture to cool completely before transferring to a glass storage container. store at room temperature for up to two weeks!

winter citrus cocktail

 

who else is as excited for blood orange season as i am? they are my favourite seasonal citrus this time of year & belong in everything. this week, i even made a salad dressing recipe using blood oranges which i will be sharing soon too! for those who have never had a blood orange before, they are an orange with a beautifully deep red flesh. the flavour is sweet, but slightly bitter. you can eat them as is, or you can juice them to use in drinks, baked goods or savoury treats.

this cocktaill is inspired by all things winter citrus! it features a mix of freshly squeezed blood orange juice & tangarine juice. the tangarine juice adds an extra hit of sweetness to offset the bitterness of the blood oranges. lasty, i add a few drops of orange bitters & a splash of zevia's sugar free orange soda. this recipe works great with or without the bourbon! but in the winter time, a little bourbon never hurt anyone.

ingredients

  • 2 ounces quality bourbon
  • 2 ounces blood orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 ounce tangerine juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 ounce zevia's orange soda
  • 2-3 dashes orange bitters
  • tangerine slices, to garnish

directions

  • fill a cocktail shaker with ice. add the bourbon, blood orange juice, tangerine juice, orange soda & bitters. shake until mixture is well combined.
  • fill desired cocktail glass with ice & strain mixture over ice.
  • garnish with slices of tangerine. cheers!