Pinterest: I Tried It

It was about two weeks ago when I wrote about trying the Outback brown bread recipe that I found and pinned on Pinterest.  I also asked anyone who was reading to check out my food board and help me decide what to try next.  Paige from Final Clothes-Out suggested the pretzel bites or the mozzerella balls (she had also pinned both on her board) and said she'd make one and I could make the other.  So after finding out that the mozzerella balls recipe had no link to it (complete disappointment, though I did find another similar recipe) we decided that I would take the pretzel bites and she would take mozzerella sticks.  Or bites.  I'm actually not sure which one!  But you can head over to Final Clothes-Out today to find out which one she chose and how it came out.  I'm excited to find out whether they're worth making.

Anyway, I had meant to try at least one of these pinned recipes a week, but, of course, life got in the way and there was no recipe made last week.  However, I found this awesome-looking french toast bites recipe earlier this week and having bought a baguette at the grocery store on Monday, set about trying it on Tuesday morning. 

via Pinterest

Turns out it is a Williams-Sonoma recipe, and though I completely forgot to take pictures while making it and we ate every bite of it before I even thought of it, it looks just like what you see above except not as well plated.  And it is awesome.  The only thing I changed in it was that I used half and half instead of buttermilk because I didn't have any and never will.  Simple, easy, and so good you think you don't need the syrup but it's actually even better with it.  I'm drooling a little bit just thinking about it.

Ok, on to the planned recipe at hand: Soft Pretzel Bites

via Pinterest

Let me preference this by saying that yes, I waited until the last minute to make these.  I could have done them earlier in the week but I didn't.  Yes, I was one of those people who waited to write their paper at the last minute, too, because that was the only time I was actually "able" to write.  Go figure.  And because of that, I was making these in the middle of making supper, which was sausage bread and French onion soup; neither of which are overly complicated but are slightly time-consuming, so that may have made this seem worse than it was.  Note to self: when trying a new recipe, don't try and do other various multiple things at the same time.

Now, having learned from previous mistakes, I actually read the recipe before I started, which caused me to learn that the dough in this recipe is designed to be made in a bread machine.  I do not have a bread machine.  So, on to the next best thing:

The Kichen Aid stand mixer with dough hook that has been used probably once since I got it at my wedding shower about four and a half years ago.  Don't get me wrong- it's an incredible machine.  But not having room for it on the counter makes me forget about it, and so I use my hand mixer all. the. time.  I decided to break it out figuring it would mix slowly and steadily the way I imagined a bread maker would.  I also read that the pretzels need to be boiled, so I started that pot going before I did anything else because I'm sure you know it takes awhile to get water boiling.  And I also discovered that the recipe calls for the dough to be made into pretzels.  But wait- isn't this pretzel bites?  So I rolled the dough into 38 balls instead of shaping pretzels.

Verdict: This one is pretty easy if you have something to mix the dough in- you don't have to activate the yeast beforehand or anything, just throw it all in the bowl.  The dough mixed up nicely, formed into balls just fine (though I would make them smaller the next time, or roll it out in a long snake and just cut it into small pieces), and cooked nicely.  I admit- I had to bake them in the toaster oven since the big oven had the sausage bread in it (planning!!) and they were crammed in, so I'd like to try it on a larger cookie sheet the next time.  Yes, there may be a next time!  I brushed them all with butter and sprinkled half with salt and rolled half in cinnamon sugar.  The hubs and I both agreed the cinnamon sugar was the better of the two, so we'll do them all that way the next time.

They did taste a little yeast-y right out of the oven, but got better as they cooled a little bit.  I would suggest letting them sit and cool for 10-15 minutes to let them set up and give you a more authentic pretzel taste.  They are also good as they get cold, but I think that when I go to eat the leftovers later today, I'll probably pop them in the toaster oven for a few minutes to crisp them up.  But, overall, they were really good, and as you can see, most of them were gone by the time I got the end shots.  I got hungry as I was making supper.

I find this exercise of trying my "pins" to be a lot of fun, so I'd like to try and make it a weekly thing, like Pinterest Thursdays.  I think I'm going to stick to my food board, plus a few of my Things to Do/Projects boards for ideas.  Feel free to go take a look at what I've got there and make suggestions, and if you've got boards you want to try from, feel free to make something and let me know about it.  I'd be more than happy to link up your Pinterest Thursday on my post.  I love to see how other people's projects come out.  Does that sound like a good idea?

And don't forget to head over to Final Clothes-Out right now to see what Paige ended up making and how it came out.  That's where I'm headed!