Jalapeño Popper Pretzel Bombs

All of the foods I post on this blog have been rated very good by my family. However, every once in awhile I try a recipe and when I take that first bite, it is so far beyond very good I almost do not know how to describe it. This was one of those recipes. I took that first bite, and oh wow, I was in love!!! I was so much in love that I ate 3 of them.

What we have here is a pretzel roll stuffed with cream cheese, Mexican cheese, bacon and jalapeños. It does not get much better than that!

Jalapeño Popper Pretzel Bombs

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 12 ounces warm milk (110º-120º)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 2 cups very hot water
• 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
• 8 ounces Mexican cheese blend
• 4 ounce can diced Jalapeños
• 12 ounces turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 egg
• coarse salt, for topping (not included in nutritional info)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, add in the warm milk. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the milk and stir, with a spoon, to mix. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
2. Meanwhile in a medium mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, Mexican cheese, jalapeños and bacon. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
3. In a small bowl beat the egg and set aside.
4. Sprinkle a clean counter with 1/4 cup flour.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silpat or spray well with cooking spray. Set aside.
6. Preheat oven to 450º F.
7. Once yeast is ready, add the flour and the salt into the bowl of the stand mixer and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough comes together into a ball.
8. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Dough should be tacky, but not sticky.
9. Place the dough onto the floured counter and knead in the flour until dough is no longer tacky, about 1-2 minutes. You may not need to knead in all of the flour.
10. Divide dough into 4 even pieces. Roll each quarter into a thick log and divide into 3 even pieces. Roll each piece into a log and cut into 3 even pieces. You will now have 36 pieces.
11. Fill a medium bowl with very hot water and sprinkle in baking soda.
12. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten it into a circle. Add just slightly less than 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture to the middle of the dough. Pinch the edges of the dough together completely enclosing the cheese. Roll the dough into a ball, making sure you can not see the cheese through the dough. If a tear appears, pinch dough to close hole and roll into a ball again. Set aside and repeat with 2 more pieces of dough.
13. Once you have made and rolled 3 balls place them in the hot water, turning once if the water does not completely cover them. Let the balls sit in the hot water while you prepare the next 3 balls.
14. Once you have made the next 3 balls, remove the balls from the hot water with a slotted spoon and place on prepared baking sheet.
15. Place the next 3 balls into the hot water, turning once if the water does not cover them. Prepare 3 more balls. Repeat this process until all of the dough balls are on the baking sheet.
16. Brush each ball with beaten egg and sprinkle with course salt, if desired.
17. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

Enjoy!!!

Serves: 18
Calories: 230
Total Fat: 9.6g
   Saturated: 5.3g
   Polyunsaturated: 0g
   Monounsaturated: 0g
   Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 49mg
Sodium: 817.4mg
Potassium: 80.6mg
Total Carbs: 22.3g
   Dietary Fiber: 0.2g
   Sugars: 2.6g
Protein: 9.9g
Vitamin A: 4.3%
Vitamin C: 8.5%
Calcium: 12%
Iron: 6.1%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian.