Soft pretzels are the perfect little snack. These little pillows of amazingness are best served warm, with a mustard for dipping and dusted with some salt.
One of my good friends and fellow IACP member, Michelle Stern, just wrote a fantastic family friendly cookbook called The Whole Family Cookbook: Celebrate the goodness of locally grown foods. Last week when I received my copy in my hot little hands, not only was I so thrilled that Michelle’s first book was published, but I was so excited that her book makes cooking as a family really accessible! (something I am super passionate about!) Cooking with kids is something that I have always enjoyed! A few years ago, while babysitting in college, the kids and I would make baked goods together all the time. Now, as a personal chef, the kids are always in the kitchen with me! The youngest, who is now 10, is a little chef in the making! She if full of questions about baking and mixing and different ingredients and we have the absolute best time together in the kitchen. I love being able to educate her on techniques and healthy eating habits! And some of the flavor combinations she dreams up are totally amazing. We make an excellent team 🙂
Okay, so back to these soft pretzel bites. We made them the other day and they were a total success. (Plus, it was our first time baking with yeast together and it wasn’t a failure – woohoo) They were a hit with all the kids (and adults) and a recipe I will keeping in my back pocket for a very long time!
And now for the giveaway! I’m giving away 1 copy of The Whole Family Cookbook!! It will take you through breakfast, lunch and dinner along with everything in between! All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me your FAVORITE thing to cook with kids!! Is it chocolate chip cookies? Homemade pizza? Rice Krispie Treats? For an extra entry, head on over to the What’s Gaby Cooking facebook page and become a fan. If you’re already a fan – just leave another comment to let me know! I’ll randomly pick the winner on Friday (4/15) morning. (Must live within the US)

Soft Pretzel Bites & A Giveaway!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups AP Flour
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- Vegetable Oil for the bowl
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 egg yolk
- splash of water
- course sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, brown sugar and warm water in a mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment. Let it hang out for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the melted butter and salt to the mixture and combine. Add the AP Flour while the dough hook is rotating. Next add the Whole Wheat flour and mix until the dough has formed a large mass.
- Remove from the bowl and let rest in an oiled bowl for an hour, covered with a kitchen towel.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place a large pot with 10 cups water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add the baking soda. Don't freak out when it almost bubbles over - it's normal - and it's kinda cool, so make sure the kids are around when you do it!
- Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 14 inches long. Cut the rope of dough into little bite sizes pieces about 1 inch long.
- Using a slotted spoon, add about 20 to the boiling water at a time. Once they rise to the top of the water, about 30 seconds, remove with your slotted spoon to a paper towel to dry. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Transfer the bites to parchment lined baking sheets that you've sprayed with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and a splash of water. Brush the tops of each pretzel bite with the egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10-16 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving!
I enjoy making ice cream with kids – so easy and yummy! thanks.
These look SO delicious!
Oh how convenient! April is National Soft Pretzel month [I guess you already knew that?] will try your recipe, those bites look so good!
My favorite thing with kids is roll out cookies, and frosting them after. It’s a whole afternoon project, but so much fun! I’ve been reading your blog for a few weeks, love it! Please check mine out, it’s new: http://mycookingwithabandon.blogspot.com/
pancakes!
I cook with my granddaughter. She has her own apron and oven mit! She loves to help cook dinner for her Papa. Then, when she serves it, she tells him that I was a really good helper!
I love how they’re called ‘pillows’ – sounds like a perfect description to me!
Pizza is our favorite thing to make! (Although my kids love cracking eggs, so anything with eggs is a favorite of theirs, too :)) Thanks for this great giveaway!
My daughter is just getting to the age where she can help me in the kitchen. But she has a play kitchen that we “cook” in all the time! She loves making soup and pie. 🙂
These look beyond awesome! Never have I wanted something from a picture this much!
When I was a babysitter in college we’d make rainbow pancakes. (They were food coloring bombs!). We’d split our batter into six little bowls and make each one a rainbow color. Then you very quickly pour them onto the griddle, one after another in an arc shape and voila! When my baby gets older we’ll do the same thing, but with natural food coloring.
I became a facebook fan!
This was going to be the first thing I made from Michelle’s book… but yours are just so beautiful I know I cant compete! Really fantastic job!
It sounds a little funny, but my kids love to make risotto, from the sauteing of the onions to the adding of chicken broth and constant stirring they love it. I have pictures of them both in chefs hats at the stove with wooden spoons. I am proud of my kids and how much they enjoy “good” foods!
I don’t have any of my own yet, but I used to love making rice crispy treats with my grandma growing up!
Already like on facebook!!
My favorite thing to cook with kids is PIZZA! We make the dough, knead it, roll it into individual crusts, then each kid gets to build their own pizza from the assorted toppings. It is always a hit!
Wow Gaby – these look fantastic. I am so excited that you used my book with your young apprentice! Thanks for your support and for the lovely shout out! xoxox Michelle
My daughter and I make cookies together for every single season!
We love cooking a marinara sauce on Sunday afternoons!
My favourite cooking moment with kids is a wonderful afternoon with some smoothies and choco cookies!!
Cooking with kids hmm… I’d say spaghetti and brownies. They are simple enough for me to help with the more taxing tasks but letting them feel like they’ve done most of the work 🙂
It’s more like…what do my kids like to cook with me than the other way around! My kids love to make pizza with me. It’s messy, but they love it. 🙂
I love to make pizza…..let them slice the mushrooms and olives with a lettuce knife and form the dough…..then assemble sooo fun!
thanks for the chance to win
My favorite thing to cook with kids is pasta – eeryone gets their hands dirty and has a blast then gets to eat an amazing pasta dinner afterwards!
I like What’s Gaby Cooking on Facebook!
Gaby those pretzel bites look wonderful!! Gotta try making these with my kiddos. Love Michelle’s book, got it the other day 🙂 xxoo
My 2 year old loves cracking and whiping eggs, so we love making pancakes together 😉
Mmmmm, these are fantastic!! I can really say that because I tasted these as you were taking the pics!! Soooo wonderful and awesome to have met you this past weekend!
One of my favorite things to cook with kids is brownies/blondies, it’s always fun to see them helping out mixing in the ingredients, and licking the bowl or spoon for you, too. Less dishes to wash!!!
Ciao Gaby!, I’ m writing from Italy, is that ok for the giveaway?
We always have fun in the kitchen , but I think our favorite are salads,ratatouille & pizzas, he really enjoy helping with vegetables & dough!
I just discovered your blog, I’ll be around. 🙂
Sounds so great! I can’t wait to try making my own (again). Last time was a bit of a flop, but I feel confident about these ones! My favorite thing to make with kiddos is baked goods (cookies in general, but cakes are good too!) Cooking is fun, but with baking you get to taste all sorts of stuff as you go, and also have the opportunity for some sweet variations in color to mix it up.
My daughter loves to bake with me – cookies, cakes, muffins. She gets upset if I won’t pull a chair over for her to join me in the kitchen. 🙂
Pancakes!
Now I need to find a favorite mustard.
hi gabby – nice meeting you saturday – these pretzels look yummy – the outside of the crumb cake was delicious…. i want some now 🙂
I love making chocolate pudding…or even better dirt, gummy worms and all. 😀
I love to make as much as possible with them. Cooking is an important life skill and I hope they have a positive feeling with cooking and eating.
I love to make pizza with my kids! They like to sample the toppings before we put them on so it gets a bit messy!
Making homemade pizza with my nephews is the most fun because there’s so much to do so they don’t get bored. They love spreading the sauce, adding the cheese, and eating it, of course. This would be the perfect cookbook for my sister so she can cook with her sons more.
Love these pretzel bites!! I always think making cupcakes and cookies are the best to make with kids. They get to be creative with how they want to decorate them!
I also am a fan on Facebook!
I love making cookies with my kids. But they’d be all over these pretzel bites too!
These look awesome! I love soft pretzels and know I’d love these. Mmm.
These look so delicious. I could eat a whole bowl. What a fun, family friendly book!
My nieces, ages 6 and 3, love to come to their ‘aunty’s’ house and make personalized pizzas!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I like making sugar cookies or cupcakes, because then they get to decorate their own.
My favorite thing to do with my 2 year old in the kitchen is bake. He likes to measure ingredients and stir them together 🙂 I look forward to many years of cooking with him and any other children I may have!
I’m a fan on Facebook 🙂
I enjoy making sugar cookies or gingerbread men with kids – I love seeing how they decorate each one!
I love decorating cookies with kids!