Ham and Cheddar Pretzel Bites with Jalapeño Mustard

These little pretzel bites are delicious and adorable. They make great hors d'oeuvres because kids and adults both love them and you can fill them with whatever you want. While I was rolling these, I was fantasizing about stuffing them with brie and raspberries. And even though the ham and cheddar was really good, I may have to do that one day, just to make that fantasy a reality. You've heard dream big or go home...I went home (and ate pretzel bites).

COUNTRY HAM AND CHEDDAR PRETZEL BITES WITH JALAPEÑO MUSTARD

Makes 4 dozen hors d’oeuvres or snacks

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup warm water (110-115º F)

1 cup warm milk (110-115º F)

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1/2 cup finely chopped country ham (3 oz; preferably Newsom’s or Benton’s), divided

1/3 cup finely chopped sharp cheddar cheese, divided

6 cups water

4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 to 2 tablespoons pretzel salt or coarse salt

Jalapeño Mustard:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded fresh jalapeños

1 tablespoon mild honey

1.      Stir together yeast, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 8 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

2.      In a separate bowl, stir remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar into warm milk until dissolved.

3.      Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time, if necessary. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.

4.      Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of ham and cheese into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan (leave about an inch between pieces, the dough will rise slightly). Repeat with remaining dough, ham, and cheese. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

5.      Preheat oven to 400º F. with rack in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

6.      Bring about 6 cups water to a boil in a 4- to 5-qt saucepan. Reduce heat and stir in baking soda. Cook pretzel bites in batches in gently simmering water, turning once, until slightly puffed, about 20 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to sheet pans.

7.      Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes (cheese may ooze slightly).

8.      Meanwhile, stir together mustard, jalapeños, and honey (can be made 1 day ahead and chilled).

9.      Brush warm pretzel bites with butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Serve warm or at room temperature with jalapeño mustard for dipping.

Pretzels can be made 2 weeks ahead and frozen (once cooled). Thaw 30 minutes, then reheat in a 400° F. oven about 10 minutes.

from Gourmet, October 2009 by Edward Lee

yeast, brown sugar and water

foamy

adding brown sugar to milk

adding flour to yeast mixture

adding milk mixture to flour/yeast

dough mixed

dough rolled into a ball

setting aside the dough in a bowl to rise

jalapeño

dijon mustard, chopped jalapeño & honey

jalapeño mustard

dough - doubled in size

dough - separated into four parts

dough rope

rolled dough

ham

There was no country ham at the store,
so I went with a really good Italian ham.

spreading the ham and cheese

filling spread; ready to roll

rolling

rolled

cut into pieces

on sheetpan

a little puffier after resting for 30 minutes

about to drop in boiling water/baking soda

boiling & turning

removing with a slotted spoon

boiled on a sheetpan

baked

brushing with butter

I think the butter is added just so the salt will stick.
Next time I might try sprinkling the salt on before
baking and see if it sticks without the butter.

sprinkling with salt

I used the coarsest salt I had (fleur de sel).

dipping in jalapeño mustard

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Pickled Jalapeños and Red Onion

Personally, I'm not big on pickled jalapeños, but my husband Chuck loves them. He puts them on things you'd expect (like chili, tostadas, tacos, burritos and quesadillas), but he also loves them on all kinds of sandwiches and in soup. I think I've even seen him put them in his scrambled eggs. So I thought he'd enjoy some homemade ones for a change. And even though I'm not a good judge of which is better, I can tell you that the homemade ones definitely look nicer. The jarred ones from the store are way less vibrant (and a little sad). Plus when you make them yourself, you can add red onions, which is really nice with the touch of heat they get from the hot peppers. Those I can handle.

PICKLED JALAPEÑOS AND RED ONION

5 small jalapeños, left whole or cut into ½-inch slices (with seeds)

1 red onion (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise

2 cups seasoned rice vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

1.       Place onion and jalapeños in a 1-quart glass jar. (If using whole jalapeños, poke each one a few times with a fork first so the pickling liquid can permeate the pepper.)

2.       Mix vinegar, lime juice, and salt in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapeños.

3.       Put the lid on and let stand at room temperature until cool. Refrigerate for at least 1 day (preferably for 1 week) before using.

slightly adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2006 (by Bruce Aidells and Nancy Oakes)

sliced red onion

jalapeños

sliced jalapeños

jalapeños & red onion in jar

lime halves

seasoned rice vinegar and lime juice

adding salt

pouring the hot mixture in the jar

I pressed them down a little, just to
make sure everyone was submerged.

side view right after pouring the hot vinegar mixture in

top view right after pouring the hot mixture in

the next day

Did I mention the pretty pink color
the pickling liquid turns after a while?

Those of you who are into genuine pickling can seal the
jar the right way to make them last a really long time.

close up
You can see the color of the jalapeños
gets duller after soaking in the liquid

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Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

My husband really likes jalapeños and bacon, so I thought this would be a fun surprise for his birthday. But I didn't think my daughter would go for it, so I made half with baby sweet peppers instead. Turns out she didn't much care for those either, except for the bacon (which she proceeded to peel off four poppers before I gave her a cease & desist order). Looking on the bright side, now I know I can make her a big ol' pile of bacon for her next birthday and she'll be happy as a clam.

I'm not sure if these can really be considered "poppers" because you can't exactly pop one into your mouth. You need to take a few bites. I'm flirting with renaming them (I like the sound of jalapeño nibblers, but I have a feeling it won't catch on).

These are really delicious by the way. I can imagine them being very successful at a party. I'm wimpy (as many of you already know), so I only had the sweet peppers. Chuck really liked the hot jalapeños and I was very entertained watching him get up several times for drink refills while his eyes watered. (I'll never understand how anyone can think that's enjoyable.)

STUFFED JALAPEÑO POPPERS

Yield: 15 to 25

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, drained

3 large (or 6 small) basil leaves

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

pinch of salt

15 to 25 jalapeño peppers, depending on size (larger ones are easier to stuff)

1/2 to 1 lb. pound thinly sliced bacon (smoked is great)

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1.      Preheat the grill (or preheat your oven to 375º F.).

2.      Place the garlic and sundried tomatoes in the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the basil and process until finely chopped.  Add cream cheese and a pinch of salt. Mix until mixture is smooth enough for stuffing (it’s okay if there are still some small chunks of sundried tomato).

3.      Slice the top off each jalapeno, then slice lengthwise on one side, being careful not to cut the jalapeño in 1/2. Leave the seeds if you want them really hot (remove them with a small paring knife if you don't think you can handle the heat).

4.      Fill either a pastry bag or ziploc bag with the filling. Squeeze a liberal amount of filling into each pepper. Be careful not to overfill as the filling may spurt out during cooking.

5.      Wrap each pepper with 1 to 2 strips of bacon, securing the opening in the pepper. Secure the bacon with a toothpick (best to soak the toothpicks first, to prevent burning).

6.      Grill peppers until lightly roasted or bacon is fully cooked. Cook on foil if your peppers are cooking too fast or starting to burn. [If using your oven, cook until the peppers are lightly roasted, then increase the heat to broil and continue cooking until bacon is fully cooked.]

adapted from Joe Rao

garlic and sundried tomatoes

adding fresh basil

basil chopped

adding cream cheese

filling mixed

jalapeños

baby sweet peppers

hollowed out pepper

filling the pepper

I couldn't fill a jalapeño and take a photo at the
same time because I needed to use both hands for those.

stuffed pepper (remember to stop short of the
edge so the filling won't ooze out too much)

If you want to maximize their cuteness, you can leave the
tops on the peppers and fill them through the side slit only.

wrapped in bacon

I was in such a rush when I made these that I bypassed
cooking them at 375º F. and went straight to broiling.
They were good, but if you have the time, do bake them for a
little while first (my bacon was cooked a bit unevenly).

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