Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive Biscuits

I made this biscuits in an effort to feel less guilty about eating biscuits. I wanted it to be OK for me to have a second biscuit. My life is so difficult.

I had a snow day on Wednesday and knew that the universe was telling me to make healthier but super delicious biscuit. Yes, the universe talks to me often--generally it wants to talk about biscuits.

Cheddar cheese and chives are a match made in heaven. Luckily I had both of those in my fridge along with some Greek yogurt, and there was a fresh bag of whole wheat flour in my pantry.

What came out of my oven later that morning are these Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive Biscuits. They are flavorful and nutty, a bit sturdy but certainly flaky like a traditional biscuit. The cheddar is sharp and the chives provide just the right amount of onion flavor. I kicked it up a notch by adding a generous amount of cracked black pepper.

These biscuits were the first things I baked using whole wheat flour, and I would definitely consider them a success. The Greek yogurt is tangy and acts very much like buttermilk in this recipe. I used a low fat yogurt, but I would imagine a non-fat yogurt would have the same result (please report back if anyone tests this out!)

Enjoy these biscuits for breakfast alongside scrambled eggs or as a tasty little sandwich vessel at lunch. You may also consider serving them alongside a big pot of chili, like my Mom's Beef Chili!

Homemade Soft Pretzel Sticks

Have you seen those Sonic commercials with the two guys in the car...the one guy has a notebook of all the times his mind has been blown?

Well, my mind isn't usually blown at Sonic but there are a few stick-out mind blowing moments in my life.

No moment was as mind blowing as the first time I made these homemade soft pretzel sticks. I expected complete failure and a prompt trip to the mall for some Auntie Anne's. Boy, was I (happily) wrong.

When they came out of the oven, I think I almost cried tears of joy. They are lovely golden brown, puffy pillows of soft pretzel bliss.

I think the worst part of this recipe is the waiting...waiting for the yeast to activate, waiting for the dough to rise, waiting for them to bake.

The best part is the eating. These pretzels are so delicious I actually had to hide the leftovers from myself. I knew that I couldn't be trusted to not sit on the couch and eat the whole batch. It's good I know myself so well.

Ok, let's talk pretzel.

Start by combining a package of dry active yeast to the bowl of your brand spanking new Kitchenaide mixer along with brown sugar, melted butter and warm water. Mix it with a dough hook and let it rest.

Once activated, it will look something like this:

After 5 minutes, add in the salt and the flour, in batches. The dough will start to pull away from the bowl.

Knead the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl greased with canola oil. Cover it with a clean towel. This is when the first treacherous waiting period begins...1 hour. Let it rise.

Just before the hour is up, a large stockpot is filled with 3 quarts of water and 3/4 cups of baking soda and brought to a boil.

Now is the fun part. Cut your dough in half and gently tear off large pieces. Roll them between your hands to create evenly sized logs. Try to be as precise as possible, but because we are humans a little bit of error is fine.

Or get crazy and make actual pretzels. I had a giggle fit after I made this...

Each of the sticks go for a bath in the pot of water and baking soda, for no longer than 30 seconds!

Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush each pretzel with an egg wash...sprinkle on some salt.

To a 400 degree oven they go!

And then...2 tablespoons of melted butter...mixed with garlic powder, onion powder, and a little more salt. The hot hot hot pretzels get brushed with butter.

Your knees will probably go weak at this point.

These are best served immediately hot and fresh out of the oven. You can serve them as is or alongside some good Dijon or honey mustard. However, leftovers will last well wrapped for about three days. I recommend giving them a quick heat-up in a 200 degree oven!

If you want to be the star of your Super Bowl party, these pretzels are a wonderful option. They are soft yet crunchy, salty and buttery and totally swoon worthy.