When the text arrived with the pic of a long-ago acquired recipe for “Cheezy Pretzels” from a former Little Folks School parent, Nicole Bagley, I had two reactions. The first was sheer joy at the memory of Nicole and her beautiful family; her two children, Dylan (now age 17) and Ella (now age 12) had attended the Little Folks School when they were young. And secondly, I laughed out loud at her message which stated that after 13 years—while sheltering in place in Colorado—they were finally getting around to making the pretzels!
At the Little Folks Summer Camp in Washington, DC, it is an annual tradition to hold a “Pretzel and Lemonade Sale” every July. Besides being a favorite activity that everyone in our community looks forward to, it is loaded with learning. The children work hard to measure out ingredients, to mix and knead the pretzel dough, and then to make it into shapes for baking. Children choose a job: welcoming customers, selling tickets, taking orders for pretzels and lemonade, holding signs, or passing out napkins. Our little bakers and entrepreneurs usually earn enough money to fund special treats at the end-of-camp Music and Art Fair!
Mid-day, family members and friends arrive to purchase the refreshments…and even the recipe!
Each year the campers make more and more pretzels, and no matter how many we make, they are always sold out. Not only is it fun to remember this fantastic event, but it is great to be reminded of this delicious and fun recipe, especially while we are staying at home and looking for activities to pass the time.
Remembering the bright spots from the past, and creating new memories, goes a long way to keep us feeling positive.
Maybe you can make a batch of pretzels and along with some fun memories with your children right now!
LITTLE FOLKS SCHOOL CHEEZY PRETZELS
Ingredients:
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 package dry yeast
! tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 cups of flour
1 egg
coarse salt
Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Combine salt, 4 cups of flour, and cheese. Stir in yeast mixture, adding more flour if needed to make a stiff dough. Knead 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth.
For traditional pretzels break off small pieces of dough and shape into a long snake, twisting to make a pretzel shape. It is also fun to makes circles, numbers, letters, etc…
Place pretzels on uncreased pans allowing space between them.
Brush each with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes.
Enjoy!
Need some fresh ideas?
Related reads
