Caramel-Filled Pretzel Bites

When it comes to non-staple ingredients in my pantry, I try to not have extras sitting around for a while (with the exception of coconut - since only Mom and Nonni like it, I just leave the bag alone). So a while back I started looking for a recipe to use up the caramel squares I still had from previous recipes. I eventually decided on Caramel-Filled Pretzel Bites from Amy's Healthy Baking. Which sat saved on my bookmarks bar for 6 months or so as I tried to figure out when to make them.

Enter St. Patrick's Day. While trying to decide what snacks I wanted to make for spending half the day in the car, I had a lightbulb moment: why not make the pretzel bites? So I did.

Caramel-Filled Pretzel Bites (source)

Ingredients

for the pretzels

• ½ c (120mL) warm water (about 100-110°F)
• 1 tsp (4g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp canola oil
• ¼ tsp (2g) salt
• 2 ¼ tsp (7g) yeast
• 1 ½ - 2 ½ c (180-300g) all-purpose flour
• 8 caramel squares

for the wash

• 2 tbsp (10g) baking soda
• 1 ½ c (360mL) hot water
• coarse sea salt (pretty sure this is optional)

Directions

1. To prepare the pretzels, stir together the water, sugar, oil, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the yeast, and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes or until frothy. Mix in the flour, ½ cup at a time, until a dough forms that begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. (I had to also add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, before the dough formed.)
2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into it. Let the dough rest while completing the next step.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil, and generously coat with nonstick cooking spray. Slice the caramel squares into quarters.
4. Evenly divide the dough into 32 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll it into a ball, flatten, and place a caramel piece in the center. Fold the dough over the caramel, pinch to seal, and roll into a ball. Place the dough onto a well-floured surface while filling the rest of the dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. To prepare the wash, add the baking soda to a medium bowl, and pour in the hot water. Stir to fully dissolve the baking soda.
6. Working with 2-3 pretzel bites at a time, place them onto a slotted spatula or spoon, and briefly dip them into the wash. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
7. Bake the pretzel bites at 400°F for 7-8 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes.

It's possible that I didn't let the yeast sit for long enough as the dough didn't knead very well or roll into a good ball around the caramel pieces. They still turned out well, liquidy caramel included.