Neujahrspretzel (new Year's Pretzels)

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 dash water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 7 cups flour, unbleached

Recipe

• 1 heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130°f).
• 2 mix yeast, salt, sugar, and 1 cup flour.
• 3 slowly beat into warm milk.
• 4 beat for 2 minutes.
• 5 add eggs and 1 cup of flour.
• 6 beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• 7 add enough flour to form a soft dough.
• 8 knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• 9 place dough in a greased bowl.
• 10 let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• 11 punch dough down and let rise again until doubled (1 hour more).
• 12 divide dough in half.
• 13 shape pretzel as follows: roll dough into a rope about 30 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• 14 cross the ends leaving a large loop in the center.
• 15 flip loop back onto crossed ends to form a pretzel.
• 16 repeat with remaining dough.
• 17 place pretzels on greased baking sheets.
• 18 let rise 15 minutes more.
• 19 bake at 375°f for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• 20 cool on wire racks.
• 21 mix confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla to form a thin icing.
• 22 spread icing on pretzels and sprinkle with chopped almonds.
• 23 makes 2 large pretzels.