Heart-Shaped Pretzels & February Adventures: A Sweet Farewell to the Month of Love

Hey, hey, hey… what a month!

February comes to a close and what a doozy it was. For a short month, it was packed full. We had lots of guests, so entertaining included an airboat ride in the Everglades, several trips to the Yellow Green Market in Hollywood, FL, a tour of Miami's Wynwood Walls, a Polynesian night at Mai-Kai, and a day cruising around the Intracoastal Waterway on a water taxi tour of Fort Lauderdale with time to explore downtown Las Olas and the beach. Somehow in the midst of all that, we also managed to finished a 1000-piece Valentine’s puzzle, created a "Romantel" (a seasonally romantic mantel), signed up for a wine club membership, and practiced heart-shaped latte art daily with our new Breville Bambino espresso machine. I have no idea how we squeezed this all in. And to top it all off, I snuck in a quick interview with Bold Journey Magazine which you can read here if you missed it.

Speaking of heart shapes, how about these heart-shaped pretzels! I couldn't let February pass without trying these and they were most definitely the high of our Superbowl party. They had that perfect chewy soft pretzel texture with a touch of Valentine's spirit. Swoon… Obviously, they don’t have to be heart-shaped and in the future I’ll probably just cut little chunks of dough and skip the twisty shaping. The dough was surprisingly simple to make and with all the dough making that happens in this house, I kinda wonder why I waited so long to make them. Regardless of what shape you go for, just go for it cause they are fun and delicious!

Yields: 8 pretzels

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 1 ½ cups (355ml) warm water (about 110°F/45°C)
• 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the Baking Soda Bath:

• 10 cups water
• ⅔ cup baking soda

For Topping:

• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
• Coarse salt, for sprinkling Instructions

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Activate the Yeast:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until frothy.

Make the Dough:

1. Add melted butter and salt to the yeast mixture.
2. Gradually stir in the flour, one cup at a time, until a dough forms.
3. Knead on a floured surface for about 5–7 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled.

Preheat & Prepare Baking Soda Bath:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Stir in baking soda.

Shape the Pretzels:

1. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 24-inch rope.
2. Shape into a heart by twisting the middle, curving the top shape, and then crossing the ends over each other, and pressing them together.

Boil the Pretzels:

1. Using a slotted spoon, dip each pretzel in the baking soda bath for 30 seconds.
2. Remove and place on prepared baking sheets.

Egg Wash & Bake:

1. Brush pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
2. Bake for 12–15 minutes until deep golden brown.
3. Cool & Serve

And that’s a wrap on February! I wish I could say things are slowing down in March but this is the start of all things spoon carving. My class at Morikami is already sold out so hopefully you got lucky and secured as spot. Speaking of luck, that’s the theme for March! We are leaning into green and gold and hopefully lots of luck. Lucky in what? I don’t know but more importantly, is a shamrock “Shamantel” in order?

February 2019: Handmade Flour Tortilla Recipe

Hey Full Moon Bakers!

I’m trying to ease back into all the things after my father’s passing and that includes the Full Moon Baking Club. There is really no better way to make that happen than with a good friend. To be honest, that’s what this baking club is for. Gathering friends, attempting kitchen crafts and ideally eating said crafts with good company. As much as I believe in breaking bread and the power of sharing food to foster togetherness, this was the first month in which I have been able to participate in that vision. Lucky for me (and us) I happen to know one of the best handmade flour tortilla makers this side of the border. He happily shared his recipe, technique, and personal counsel for an epic night of tacos. It was a true reminder that no matter life’s circumstances, good times still await us. We just need to make the time.

Speaking of time, hand making tortillas takes some… Individually rolling out 15 to 20 small pieces of dough is a workout so I suggest enlisting a friend (duh…) to help with the pan frying. You’ll find a rhythm and have fun in the process. And I mentioned the tacos, right? Just make the tortillas. Surely you know how to apply the fixin’s. Check below for the recipe and some step-by-step visuals.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp.baking powder
• 4 to 5 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup hot water

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Add in the butter and cut it into the flour until you roughly have pea sized pieces throughout.
3. Pour in the water and stir to combine forming the dough
4. Knead the dough on the counter until the ingredients are well combined and the dough is smooth and well formed.
5. Then cut the dough into 15 or 20 individual pieces and form into small balls roughly the size of a golf ball.
6. Place them on a plate, cover, and let them rest for 20 minutes.
7. Warm a dry skillet over medium-high and let it heat all the way through.
8. With a rolling pin, individually roll out each piece of dough. (You want them thin and a good size for serving.)
9. Without using oil, dry fry the tortillas on each side, turning after bubbles forms in the dough.
10. Do them one at a time. As you get a feel for the timing you can start to roll the next tortilla out as the previous one is frying. Just be sure to keep and eye on your pan and flip them before burning.
11. Keep them warm by boiling an inch of water in a pot. Once the water boils, turn the heat off and place a plate with a clean cloth towel or napkin folded on top. Place each tortilla within the cloth after frying. This will keep them nice and warm until all of them are ready to serve. (Sorry, I forgot to take that picture.)

Pork tacos with roasted poblano peppers, arugula, avocado, and fresh papaya salsa with handmade flour tortillas.

These were 100% worth it. Good luck and let me know if you make these tortillas!