Chocolate Pretzels
A sugar pretzel is the perfect accompaniment to a family tea party, as it's hard to imagine anything more cozy, warm, and comforting. They say this marvel was invented in Germany, where they know a thing or two about fine baking.
- Wheat flour
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Chicken egg
- Chicken egg (white)
- Cocoa powder
- Salt
- Remove the egg from the refrigerator. Prepare the butter. It will need to be beaten, so it needs to be very, very soft. However, don't melt the butter: it has completely different culinary properties.
- To get the right texture from cold butter, follow these steps: Use a knife to shave the butter into a bowl. Mash it with a fork and let it rest on the counter for 15–25 minutes.
- Beat with a mixer. Then gradually add the fine sugar. Beat until it is almost completely dissolved. Then add the egg and salt. Beat again.
- Place the flour in a bowl. Sift the cocoa powder through a sieve. Stir. Add the resulting mixture to the butter mixture. Quickly knead the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.
- Remove the dough and place it on a floured surface. Divide it into 16–20 equal portions (check the scales). Roll each portion into a rope about 25 cm long.
- Place the dough pieces on a board. Refrigerate for about ten minutes. Then, roll each dough piece into a pretzel. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg white. Bake for 10 minutes at 190°C.
The Vyborg pretzel is a distinctive culinary landmark of the fortified city located a hundred kilometers from St. Petersburg. This pastry originated here during the Middle Ages: legend has it that it was invented by Franciscan monks. Later, these aromatic pretzels began to be made in city homes and local bakeries. The pastry was so good that its fame quickly spread beyond the small town and reached St. Petersburg. And it was highly praised in the capital! It is said that Peter the Great demanded that Vyborg pretzels be delivered to the Assemblies, and Alexander III made this pastry an essential part of the imperial menu. While the original recipe has not survived, we invite you to try the closest possible version of the Vyborg pretzel. It's worth a try!
A golden-brown pretzel baked with poppy seeds sprinkled like black dots across the surface of the dough always looks very elegant on the table. Serve it with tea from a samovar, with morning coffee, or at a beer and crayfish party. Depending on the intended use, bake the pretzels large and fluffy or small and crispy.
A pretzel, also known as a bretzel in the European (German and Austrian) tradition, is a so-called "bakery trifle," a small, alkaline pastry. "Alkaline" means that it is scalded in a baking soda solution before baking. This process allows the pretzels to brown perfectly in the oven without any egg or milk coating, and also to develop a thin, crispy crust with a soft, fluffy crumb. Incidentally, the Russian word "krendel" also comes from the German kringel. And a pretzel with salt is the most classic kringel!
Kefir, as we know, imparts not only a fluffy, tender texture, but also a subtle piquancy to any baked good it's added to. Kefir-based pretzels are crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside, and if rolled out thickly, they can be served for breakfast, cut in half, with cream cheese and lightly salted salmon, like bagels. But you can also give them their usual shape and size, and they'll still make a wonderful snack.