Happy 2013 & #Dairyfree Sweet New Years Day Pretzel {Neujahrsbrezel}

Happy 2013 to all of you from the four of us!  I hope you all had a great start into the New Year.  Did you do anything special?  Do you follow any traditions for either New Years Eve, or New Years Day? I would love to hear about it.

For us, we usually have Oregon Dungeness Crab for New Years Eve but the season has been delayed so we made a change of plan.  Instead we made Raclette - something we have done often in Germany for New Years Eve.  You eat for a long time, take a break, eat again...and soon it is almost midnight.  We do have a table raclette oven and this is actually the first time we have made Raclette with the girls.  I was unable to find "safe" Raclette cheese for the girlies so they made their with slices of Gruyere which also is so tasty.  Friends joined who had never had Raclette before joined us around the table and we had {as can be expected} a lot of fun...

New Year's Day was spent with taking a nice walk on this sunny day up to Mt. Tabor,

and it is was Hopping John Emeril Style :) with a side of Collard Greens

For breakfast I made a Sweet New Years Day Pretzel {Neujahrsbrezel} - it was made on New Years Eve...

This is actually the first time I made one.  In the region of Germany that I call home {Swabia} it is tradition to eat Neujahrsbrezel on New Years Day.  After Christmas it is sold in the bakeries - it is supposed to symbolize good luck, and love for the New Year. It taste like Challah and is delicious.

I have tried to make sweet yeast bread in the past, but failed every time.  I contributed it - maybe incorrectly - to the soy milk.  In any case, it has been years since my last attempt and I love tradition, so I gave it another try.  It was delicious - just spread a little "vegan"/or regular butter on a slice, dunk it in coffee, or hot chocolate.

Dairyfree Sweet New Years Day Pretzel
  4 C   flour
1/4 C Vegan Butter {I use Earth Balance}
1-1/4 C Oat Milk {or other Milk Substitute}
1 egg
1/4 C sugar
1 pinch of salt
2-1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1/3 C raisins {optional}
1 egg yolk
1. Mix flour, sugar, yeast, and sugar.
2. In a pot warm up the "milk" and melt vegan butter in the "milk". When "butter" has melted, pour
    the liquid into
3. dry ingredients and stir up before adding the egg.  Work it into a smooth dough and knead for
    at least three minutes {you may have to add a little more "milk" or flour}. When a smooth dough
    has formed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at a warm place for at least three hours {I
    put mine into the oven}
4. When dough has risen {it takes about three hours} add raisins - if using - to the dough.  Work raisins
     thoroughly into the dough.  Let dough rest for another ten minutes or so.
     *Preheat oven to 360F
5.  On a floured work surface work the dough into a long roll.
6.  On each side of the roll - leaving an uncut part in the middle about 3"-5" - cut dough twice.  On each side it should be about 6" - 8" - the braid each side. Fold the braided ends up to the middle,
     forming a pretzel shape.  You can put parchment paper into the two openings to make sure they stay nice and open

 





7.  Brush pretzel with egg yolk, and bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until light and
     golden.


Here is to a fantastic 2013!!!