Best Pretzel Shortbread Recipes

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PRETZEL SHORTBREAD



Pretzel Shortbread image

Flecked with sea salt on the outside, buttery and supremely crunchy within, this pretzel shortbread leans to the savory side, both salty and sweet. This version, created by Lost Bread Company in Philadelphia, mixes crumbs from the bakery's own sourdough pretzels into the dough. But any pretzels will give the shortbread the necessary tang. The bakery also dips the shortbread into a lye solution before baking to give them that characteristic glossy surface. This simplified version calls for either using baking soda or an egg white. The slightly bitter baking soda mixture adds some of the complex flavor of the lye, but using an egg white is simpler, and the cookies are nearly as delicious.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     cookies and bars, dessert

Time 2h30m

Yield About 15 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/2 cup/65 grams pretzel crumbs (see Note)
3 1/4 cups/415 grams all-purpose flour
1 cup/210 grams Demerara sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/310 grams unsalted cold butter (2 3/4 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup baking soda, or 1 large egg white
Pretzel salt or flaky sea salt

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pretzel crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them, stirring once, until they smell toasty (they may not darken, and that's OK), about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Pour crumbs into the bowl of an electric stand mixer to cool. Whisk in flour, sugar and salt. Place the butter cubes on top of the flour mixture and chill until everything is very cold, at least 30 minutes.
  • Using the paddle attachment, beat flour and butter mixture on low speed until it comes together into a dry, crumbly dough that just holds together when you squeeze it, 10 to 15 minutes. If the dough isn't coming together in the mixer, use your hands to knead it. It will be difficult to work with.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out and press dough into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle about 3/8-inch thick. (Alternatively, you can press the dough into a quarter sheet pan with your fingers instead of rolling). Cut into rectangles approximately 3 inches by 2 inches. Transfer rectangles to the lined baking sheet. Using the tip of a slim chopstick or a fork, poke holes all over the dough, going halfway but not all the way through. Place baking sheet in freezer until dough is frozen, at least 1 hour.
  • Heat oven to 500 degrees. If using baking soda for the coating, combine it in a small pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Let cool completely. Dip each cookie into the solution, letting the excess drip off, then place it back on the baking sheet. If using an egg white, whisk it with 1 tablespoon water until frothy, then brush it on top of cookies. Sprinkle the coated cookies evenly with flaky sea salt.
  • Transfer baking pan to oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 23 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cookies, then store them in an airtight container.

PRETZEL-SHORTBREAD BARS



Pretzel-Shortbread Bars image

Broken pretzels are worked into the dough: Finely ground crumbs go into the flour mixture, and bigger pieces stud the inside and top layer of the bars.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Time 2h

Yield Makes about 2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 7

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 1/4 cups salted miniature twist pretzels
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 4 1/4-by-13 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment.
  • Pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until powdery. Transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl; discard any remaining pretzel powder. Stir in flour and baking powder. Transfer remaining 1 1/2 cups pretzels to food processor, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
  • Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped pretzels.
  • Press dough evenly into pan. Top dough with 1/4 cup chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels.
  • Bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour. Remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide rectangles using a serrated knife.

STRAWBERRY SHORTBREAD PRETZEL PIE



Strawberry Shortbread Pretzel Pie image

Use melted marshmallows to bind this crust of crushed shortbread and pretzels; top it off with sweetened cream cheese and cooked strawberries.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Nonstick cooking spray
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups lightly crushed pretzels, plus more for garnish
1 cup crushed shortbread cookies
1 pound strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Toasted sliced almonds, for garnish

Steps:

  • Spray a 9-inch round cake or spring-form pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment.
  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the pretzels and crushed cookies until combined. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Let cool, then remove from the pan and remove the parchment, and transfer to a serving plate.
  • Simmer the strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until slightly broken down and thickened, 12 to 18 minutes (depending on ripeness). Cool slightly, then stir in the 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
  • Beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. Spread evenly on the pretzel-cookie round. Top with the strawberries, garnish with the almonds and crushed pretzels and serve.
  • Copyright 2016 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

PRETZEL-SHORTBREAD BARS RECIPE - (4.3/5)



Pretzel-Shortbread Bars Recipe - (4.3/5) image

Provided by รก-4084

Number Of Ingredients 7

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 1/4 cups salted miniature twist pretzels
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 4 1/4-by-13 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment. Pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until powdery. Transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl; discard any remaining pretzel powder. Stir in flour and baking powder. Transfer remaining 1 1/2 cups pretzels to food processor, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped pretzels. Press dough evenly into pan. Top dough with 1/4 cup chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels. Bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour. Remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide rectangles using a serrated knife.

PRETZEL SHORTBREAD



Pretzel Shortbread image

Pretzel shortbread was created by Lost Bread Co. in Philadelphia as a way to use up stale pretzels and has since gained a cult following. To create our own version, we started with a classic shortbread base and tested it with a variety of pretzel styles to find our favorite. Butter pretzels were the winners--though regular pretzel thins and old-fashioned pretzels also work. A baking soda and egg wash gives these cookies a deep brown color and shine--like a pretzel rod--and pretzel salt really drives home this cookie's origins (although coarse salt or even demerara sugar will work too). The resulting cookie is salty, sweet, buttery and crunchy.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     dessert

Time 2h15m

Yield 40 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 heaping cup butter-style pretzels, such as Snyder's Butter Snaps (about 46 pretzels; about 2 ounces)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pretzel salt or coarse salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Steps:

  • Process the pretzels in a food processor until finely ground and the consistency of flour. Measure 1/2 cup of the ground pretzels into a bowl (discard any remaining ground pretzels). Whisk in the flour, cornstarch, confectioner' sugar and fine salt.
  • Add the butter and brown sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just to combine, about 20 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low until it comes together to form a dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto a 14-inch piece of parchment and form into a ball. Place the parchment in a 9-by-13-inch jelly roll pan or baking sheet and press the dough into an even rectangle the size of the pan using the bottom of a measuring cup. Cut the dough in half horizontally, then cut in half vertically to make 4 quarters. Cut each quarter into 10 slices to make 40 narrow rectangles (the ends might be less than perfect, but that's ok). Freeze for 20 minutes.
  • Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
  • Add the baking soda to 1/2 cup warm water and mix well.
  • Brush the dough evenly with the baking soda mixture and then with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the pretzel salt.
  • Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the shortbread is deep brown and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully lift the shortbread onto a cutting board. Using the previous cuts as a guide, carefully cut into bars. Let cool completely, about 25 minutes.
  • Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler over low heat. Transfer to a small bowl. Dip the lower third of each cookie in the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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