Want a unique way to tell your crush that you care?  Try this simple recipe.

Pretzels for My Valentine

Yield: 8-16 pretzels (depending on size)

Ingredients:

1 package of dry yeast
1 cup warm water (as hot as you can)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine (softened)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 egg
3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Plus…

1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon coarse salt (optional)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, disolve yeast in the warm water.  Add sugar, butter, salt, egg, and EYEBALL appoximately 2 cups of the flour.

Beat until smooth.

Stir in enough additional flour to form a stiff dough. Here is the gauge to know when it is stiff enough to stop adding flour – It will no longer stick to your hands when working with it.  Don’t go too far!  There is no turning back.

Cut with a pizza cutter into 8-16 pieces (depending on how big you want the pretzels).

Shape them into traditional pretzel twists or try the heart shape like the one shown here.

Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Now beat egg yolk and the cold water together.  Brush the egg wash on all pretzels.

Sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt and sesame seeds (cinnamon and sugar is a tasty sweet option too)

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.