NEW YEARS PRETZEL 2015, FAMILY SNACK TO HAVE WITH FOOTBALL GAMES, GO BUCKS, YEAH OSU!

I love the New Year's pretzel recipe which I will include herein after I explain the tradition. It is NOT a tradition in all of Germany but just in the part of the Black Forest where I was born. The pretzel is sometimes made into someone's age for the new year. In my case, I use my late mother's age. She would be 98 this March 2015, having been born in 1917.

First proofing, first rising of dough:

The second proofing, rising was in the shape of the numbers and I added a bit of egg wash (egg yellow) to make it appear shiny and like a glaze after baking and here is the final product:

This one was still on the cookie sheet:

Finally the recipe I used this year. Remember, I rarely use dairy, almost always use almond milk where a recipe calls for milk. I may use butter if for my husband and me, but switch to Mother's or Fleischmans unsalted (no milk and parve, but becareful as regular Fleishmans is Kosher DAIRY):

I cut the recipe in half as only wanted to make two numbers, one for me and one for my husband.

1/2 cup almond milk
1 1/4 tsp yeast (1/2 package)
2 T melted butter if permitted, otherwise Fleishman's unsalted (only the unsalted has no dairy)
1/6 cup sugar or less
Zest of half a lemon (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour, be careful not to use to much. Use one cup flour and then gently add until dough is workable) Knead about 10 minutes
1 egg yolk for brushing pretzel before baking -- again this assumes no egg allergy, it can be omitted for a duller but still delicious product

Bake about 20 minutes at 375 F until the pretzel mumbers sound hollow when tapped and look baked.

"GO BUCKS"