Baking: Pretzels / Quick Cinnamon Buns

This weekend, I am just in the mood to bake and relax. My classes are all planned for next week. My course starts on Monday so after that I will be pretty busy. I organized the living room a bit and plan to tackle the downstairs bathroom tomorrow, as it doesn't get cleaned often ( due to it not being our main bathroom). My doctors appointment is quickly approaching and I am getting excited. I don't want to get my hopes up too much, as she might say to me to just keeping trying for a bit longer. I hope that doesn't happen.

So my two cooking experiments today were Soft Pretzels and Quick Spice Buns.

Soft Pretzels

My "Pretzel"
For 3 dozen 6-inch sticks or For 1 dozen 6-inch Pretzels
( I didn't find the dough went that far, I got 1 dozen sticks total)

1 tbsp Yeast
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp softened butter or softened margarine
1 cup warm (115-+ deg F) water
2 3/4 cups flour
Coarse Salt to sprinkle on Pretzels before baking
5 tsp baking soda mixed in 4 cups water in a non-aluminum saucepan.
1 large slotted spoon to "go fishing"
Greased cookie sheet
Preheat oven to 475 F
Put yeast, sugar, salt, butter/marg, water and ONE CUP of the flour into a medium mixing bowl and pour in the water.
Stir till all smooth, and yeast starts to bubble.
At this point add the rest of the flour, stir till it is mixed in.
When mixture is too stiff to stir with a spoon, begin kneading.
Knead dough till smooth and till it no longer sticks to the bowl and your hands
Allow dough to rise to about double its height.
While dough is rising, grease the cookie sheet. and prepare the baking soda-water mixture and bring to a boil on stove.
When dough is risen enough, punch down, knead for a minute or so, then divide and roll the 6-inch sticks with your hands, to about 1/2 inch in diameter, or 12-15-inch long rolls to make into the pretzel shape.
Allow sticks or pretzels to sit for about 1-2 mins. Place them into boiling water-baking soda mixture one or two at a time.
Let the pretzels boil for 1 minute 10 seconds, then flip them over with the slotted spoon and boil on the other side for 1 minute and 10 seconds.
This boiling step gives them a firm skin and adds some flavour. Not boiling long enough leaves them too soft and allows them to rise too much. Boiling too long makes them tough.
Fish them out of the water, let them drip off and place them on the greased cookie sheet.
When all the pretzels or sticks are done, sprinkle the coarse salt on them.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or till sticks or pretzels are golden brown.

http://strothotte.com/pretzels.php

The Quick Spice Buns are very similar to Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

One of the buns I made today

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
softened butter
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar, until the flour is granular in texture. Add buttermilk to make a stiff dough. Knead lightly on a lightly floured board. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness to form a rectangle. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and spices. Roll up like ajelly roll and cut into 3/4 inch slices. Place on a buttered baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 15-20 mins in a 450F oven. Serve as is or ice with Butter Icing

Butter Icing
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp buttermilk or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-2 1/4 cup sifted icing sugar

Cream butter. Add milk, vanilla, and a little of the icing sugar. Mix well. Gradually add remaining icing sugar while mixing until it reaches good spreading consistency. Icing should hold its shape.

I got this recipe from a Dairy Cookbook, can't remember the exact name though.