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Braided Pretzels with Beer Cheese Sauce

These pretzel braids with beer cheese are an easy and fun to make recipe. Not only that, but you will be so proud of how they look that you will take a pic when you finish. So, go ahead check out this recipe. It’s another banger from our pretzel obsessed selves. You’re going to love it!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, German
Keyword: Beer Cheese, Pretzels
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 Basic Pretzel Recipe
  • 1 Package of Smokies Mini hotdogs
  • ¼ Cup Prepared Mustard
  • 2 ½ Teaspoons of Creamy Horseradish
  • 4 Teaspoons Honey
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • 2 Tablespoon Food Grade Lye
  • 6 cups of Water

Instructions

  • Prepare the basic pretzel recipe.
  • Make the delicious dipping sauce. You are gonna want to put this on everything. Take the mustard, honey, and creamy horseradish and mix in a small bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry.
  • Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Take one piece and roll it out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Cut the rolled out dough into strips about 3 ½ inches long and ½ inch wide.
  • Take one strip and one smokie. Angle the smokie at the bottom of the strip of dough and roll all the way up around the smokie. Pinch the bottom to seal the dough. Repeat until all smokies have been wrapped and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Lye or Baking Soda Solution

  • Gather safety goggles, disposable rubber gloves, stainless steel pot, long stainless steel stirring spoon. Put on safety goggles and rubber gloves.
  • Take the stainless steel pot and fill it with 6 cups of water. Add the lye, stir and heat on high until you see steam. Then turn the heat off and set aside for about 5 minutes until you no longer see the steam. Make sure that the area you work in is well ventilated. Do not inhale the steam.
  • If you opt to use baking soda instead of lye, follow these instructions:
    When using the baking soda bath you will need to bake ¼ cup of baking soda at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Then you will need a stainless pot with 8 cups of water. Add the baked baking soda to the pot of water and cook on high until you it simmers. Use a stainless steel spoon to mix the solution to make sure the baking soda dissolves. Then turn the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. You are ready to dip your pretzels for 30 seconds then cook.
  • Dip the wrapped smokies in the lye solution for 30 seconds then place them back on the baking sheet. After you dip all the smokies score them with a sharp knife and top with pretzel salt.
  • After all of the dough has been dipped in the lye or baking soda solution be sure to clean the pot, any utensils and work area. You can pour either solution down the drain. Clean the pot, utensils and work area with soap and warm water.

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Bake for 5-8 minutes. The cooking time can vary based on how close you have your oven rack to the heating element. Start looking at them after 5 minutes. No one wants burned pigs in a blanket. LOL
  • About halfway through baking, rotate the baking pan so that the pretzels cook evenly.
  • Let them cool for about 2-3 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

  • When using food grade lye you want to make sure you use a stainless pot DO NOT use any other metal or there will be a bad chemical reaction.
  • Some safety precautions you can take when working with food grade lye is to where safety goggles, long rubber gloves, long sleeve shirt, and pants. If you drop some solution on your skin just take some vinegar and pour it on the affected area. It will help neutralize the chemical reaction.
  • You can also use a baking soda bath if you do not want or can’t find food grade lye.
  • If using baking soda bath you will need to take ¼ cup of baking soda and bake it at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Then take a stainless steel pot and add 8 cups of water. Add the baked baking soda and stir until dissolved. Cook the bath on high until it simmers then lower the heat to medium to keep the solution at a simmer. Using the baking soda bath you should also follow the same precautionary measures as you would with the lye.
  • You can put leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
  • They are best reheated in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
  • If you let the bites sit too long on the baking sheet it will be a little hard to score them. Make sure you score each bite as soon as you finish dipping them in the lye bath.
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