Pretzel Dogs with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Dough
1 ½ cups warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, beaten, with a splash of water
salt and pepper for topping

Dogs
I used Chicken, Artichoke, and Mozzarella sausage from Costco. To make the mini dogs, I cut each sausage into 8 lengths (quarter the sausage, then cut each quarter in half lengthwise). It takes about 4 sausages to make 30 mini dogs.

Cooking Water
about 14 cups of water
1 cup baking soda

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Mix equal parts of Dijon mustard and honey

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture will begin to foam and froth. If it doesn’t, throw the mixture away and start again with new yeast.

Once the yeast and water is frothy, add the flour, salt, and melted butter. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until well combined. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until it is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, creating a ball of dough around the dough hook. Beat on medium speed for approximately 4 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl. The dough will be soft, pliable, and just a bit sticky. Scrape any residue out of the bowl and coat the bowl with a bit of vegetable oil. Place the dough back in the bowl, sprinkle with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and store in a warm place to rise. Allow dough to rise, until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Place baking racks in the center and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly brush the paper with oil so the pretzels won’t stick!

Combine water and baking soda in a large pan and bring to a boil.

While the water comes to a boil, turn the dough out onto a clean, slightly oiled work surface. Work the dough into a long skinny rope. Wrap pretzel around a hot dog, making sure to seal the ends.

When water has come to a boil, gently lower a few pretzel dogs into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds. Remove carefully, using a flat, slotted spatula. Place on prepared baking sheet. Brush boiled pretzels with beaten egg, and add coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Bake until deeply golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving warm.

Recipe from http://joythebaker.com/2012/01/mini-pretzel-dogs/

FROZEN MAMAS
To reheat frozen pretzel dogs, no need to thaw, bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes, or until heated through. They can also be heated in the microwave, but the quality won’t be as good.

Bacon and Egg Muffins

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk
7 large eggs (1 in batter, 6 on top of muffins)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease 6 jumbo muffin tins (or 1-cup ramekins) with the oil spray and set aside.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, bacon, chives, and cheese in a large bowl. Combine the milk and one egg in a small bowl, and add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Fold the ingredients together gently until no dry spots remain.

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each of the muffin tins. Using a soft spatula, spread the batter up the sides of the tins a bit, leaving a depression in the middle of the batter. Crack an egg into the center of each cup, and divide the remaining batter between the cups, making sure you cover the yolk. (It’s easiest if you work with small dollops of batter.)

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until the visible egg white is set and the muffins are just barely beginning to crack. (They won’t be very brown.) Cool 5 minutes, then run a small knife around the edges of each muffin to release. Serve hot.

FROZEN MAMAS
Substitutions – I used 10 slices of Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon, I omitted the chives and used 2% instead of whole milk.

CHECKLIST
Freezer bag containing Bags 1-4
Bag 1 – dry mix (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and Parmesan)
Bag 2 – Canadian bacon, chopped
Bag 3 – milk + 1 egg
Bag 4 – butter
6 eggs
Jumbo muffin tin

Melt butter then combine with contents of Bags 1-4, mix until no dry spots remain. Remaining 6 eggs DO NOT go in the batter. Follow directions above for spooning batter into tins and cracking 1 egg into each of the 6 muffin cups.

From Edible Seattle Magazine
http://www.ediblecommunities.com/seattle/recipes/bacon-and-egg-muffins.htm

Chicken and Provolone Stuffed Focaccia

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups warm fat-free milk (105° to 115°)
3 1/4 cups bread flour, divided
1 cup semolina or pasta flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
8 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese, divided
8 ounces thinly sliced chicken deli meat, divided
Additions of your choice (sundried tomatoes, artickoke hearts, pesto)

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Stir in 3 cups bread flour, semolina, oil, and salt to yeast mixture to form a stiff dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining bread flour, one tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down; divide dough ball in half.  Roll 1st half into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Place 2 ounces cheese down the center of the short length of dough; top with 2 ounces chicken and any other additions. Fold one short end of dough over filling. Place 2 ounces cheese, 2 ounces chicken, and other additions on top of fold. Fold remaining short end over filling, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat process with 2nd ball of dough.  Cover focaccia, and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Uncover dough. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.

Adpated from a Cooking Light recipe for Prosciutto and Provolone Stuffed Focaccia, October 1998

Frozen Mamas - Thaw.  Reheat entire loaf wrapped in foil in oven until warm or heat individual slices in the microwave.

Ham and Cheese Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup finely chopped 33%-less-sodium ham (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and ham. Combine buttermilk and egg whites, stirring with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 to 5 times with floured hands. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 8 wedges, cutting into but not through dough. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge). Pair with salad or soup for a light meal.

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002

Freezing this recipe:
Bag 1 - dry ingredients (with butter already cut into them)
Bag 2 - ham and cheese
Bag 3 - liquid ingredients

Preparation from Frozen:
Thaw.  Mix bag of dry ingredients with ham/cheese then add liquid ingredients and stir just until moist. Then proceed with recipe.