I always come across recipes for pretzels that sound amazing and I am tempted to make them, but it never happens. I attempted to make pretzels from scratch once years ago (before I even started blogging) and I must have been scarred by the experience because since then I haven’t tried again. Those pretzels were a complete fail so subconsciously I must be holding on to that. Recently though while scrolling through Instagram I came across a video from Food Network that used refrigerated biscuit dough to make Pretzel Monkey Muffins and I knew I had to try them.
After separating the biscuits, I cut them into quarters…
And then on a lightly floured surface I rolled each piece of dough with a rolling pin to flatten.
Next, I placed about a teaspoon of shredded cheddar cheese in the center of each dough piece and pinched it closed.
Here’s the one step from making traditional pretzels I couldn’t avoid. I boiled each of the dough balls in a pot of boiling water with baking soda & Kosher salt for about 30 seconds, until they were slightly puffed. I was concerned that they would open while they were in the hot water but none of them did. I did have to do a major cleaning of my stove afterwards since I had so much residue from the steam of the water.
Next, I sprayed 8 cups of a 12-cup cupcake tin with baking spray and placed three dough balls in each. I then sprinkled each with an additional teaspoon of shredded cheddar cheese and topped each with the remaining dough balls.
After brushing each with an egg wash and sprinkling them with salt I baked them in a 400 F preheated oven for 15 minutes (per the instructions). When I took them out of the oven they did have a nice color to them, but, they looked slightly undercooked in certain spots and I didn’t like how moist the areas where the dough balls stuck together seemed. So, I placed them back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes or so…
And then they had the golden brown hue of a traditional pretzel. Trust me, they weren’t burnt! They were delish on their own but even better with a dollop of honey mustard to dip into.
Some things to note about these muffins though… They are best enjoyed the day they are made and within an hour or two of making them. They really didn’t reheat that well. They would be the perfect snack for a game night or such.
Pretzel Monkey Muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup baking soda
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 16.3-oz tube of refrigerated biscuit dough (not flaky)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Flour, for dusting
1 egg
Coarse salt, for sprinkling*
Honey Mustard, for serving
*can use Kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large pot add 8 cups of water along with the baking soda and Kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Separate the biscuits and cut each one into quarters. Lightly flour a work surface and roll each quarter with a rolling pin until flattened, about 3 inches. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the shredded cheese in the center of each flattened dough piece and pinch closed.
Once the water is boiling, working in batches, boil the dough balls, flipping once, until they are slightly puffed. Using a slotted spoon remove them from the water and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Spray 8-cups of a 12-cup cupcake tin with non-stick spray. In a small bowl beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
Add 3 balls of dough to the bottom of each prepared cupcake cup. Top each with an additional teaspoon of shredded cheese and place the remaining dough balls on top of each. Brush each with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Cool slightly before removing from the pan. Serve with honey mustard sauce.
Recipe from Food Network
Bead Yarn & Spatula 