Cheesy Pretzels

This was a Christmas present to my family from my grandparents in 1981:



Somehow, 26 years later, it is at my house. It is falling apart. The other day when Roo scattered the pages all over the living room I picked up one that had a recipe for cheesy pretzels and I got inspired.

You mix 1 1/2 c flour, 2/3 c milk. 2 Tbsp softened butter, 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl with a fork. Then you turn it onto a floured board and knead it 10 times. Split it in half, and roll each half into a 8 by 12 inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into 8 long strips.

Here is Fish showing you how to pinch each strip in half to make a rope:

Then you give the ropes to Mom, who twists them into pretzel shapes, or else you shape them into alphabet letters yourself.

Here is Bean showing you how to brush the tops with beaten egg, despite the presence of your two-year-old sister who keeps trying to grab the bowl of egg:

Then you bake them at 400 for 20 minutes.

They were pretty tasty, though personally I couldn't taste the cheese at all. I'll leave it out next time, and I think there will be a next time. This is a really fun project for kids and it wasn't as fiddly or messy as I thought it was going to be.

I wonder what else is in that old cookbook...