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Oktoberfest Pretzel Donuts and Beer Party

What could be better than pretzels and beer? Donuts in the shape of pretzels … and beer! Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryYeah, I could’ve done a recipe for a beer pretzel with a beer mustard dipping sauce, but this is MY kind of Oktoberfest. No crowds, no gross beer hops smell in the air, no sausages, and no leiderhosen wearing drunks … just a pretzel shaped donut for breakfast with a beer! Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryThis donut is perfect for your Oktoberfest party … especially if you like to start drinking early, like, say … breakfast time. So skip the traditional dirndls, lederhosen, and German sausage! Instead, throw a modern Oktoberfest Party with sweet and salty treats including pretzel-shaped donuts and craft beer!

And no, the donut doesn’t taste like a pretzel … it is simply in the shape of a pretzel. And no, that isn’t salt on the donut, just sprinkles. And no, that isn’t mustard … that’s delicious, yellow, buttercream frosting. Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryOktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryThree cheers for beers! If you don’t like beer you can always serve  apple cider or wine instead. Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryTo decorate, buy a few boxes of large, soft pretzels in the freezer section and string them up on a garland to hang above the dessert table.Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty Canary Skip the traditional dirndls and lederhosen and let guests accessorize with an edible pretzel necklace! Simply string pretzels on long pieces of twine to make into necklaces. Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryDon’t just serve your twisted donuts on a platter – put them up on the wall! Grab a peg board and hooks from your local home improvement store, paint on a fun pattern, then hang your pretzel-shaped donuts for guests to serve themselves. It doubles as decoration! Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryAdd DIY vinyl words to pint glasses such as “Prost” or “Cheers!” Donuts go great with beer! Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryHere’s the quick recipe if you want to host an Oktoberfest brunch and serve these adorable donuts:

Grab your favorite yeast doughnut recipe and instead of using round cookie cutters to cut out doughnut shapes, slice the rolled out dough into 2” wide by 14-16” strips, twist them into a pretzel shape, and stick them in the fryer! Once cool, top the donuts with a whipped peanut butter frosting and “salt” sprinkles and you have a pretzel doughnut! Bonus points if you serve them with a yellow vanilla buttercream frosting “mustard” dipping sauce in small condiment cups to complete the theme!

Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty Canary

Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts with Peanut Butter Frosting

Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

  • Yeast Donut Dough:
  • 5 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 1¾ cups milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • vegetable oil
  • Peanut Butter Frosting:
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
  • ¾ tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • Buttercream "Mustard" Frosting:
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1-2 Tbsp milk
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • yellow food coloring

Instructions

  1. Yeast Donut Dough:
  2. Prep/measure your ingredients: sift the flour, prep a large mixing bowl with non-stick spray.
  3. Warm half of your milk on the stove, bring it to a simmer, then add the other half of cold milk. Milk should be 110 degrees.
  4. In your stand mixer, fitted with the hook attachment, add your yeast, warm milk, and a pinch of sugar and whisk together.
  5. Add the eggs and mix on low for about 1 minute.
  6. Add your sifted flour, sugar, and salt (make sure to add the salt last as salt kills yeast) and mix on low for 4 minutes.
  7. Add your butter and mix for about 5 minutes until the dough is one piece and slapping against the sides of the bowl.
  8. Transfer the dough to your prepped mixing bowl, spray the top of the dough with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough proof (rise) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  9. Use this time to prep your next phase: start warming up your oil, set up cooling racks with parchment paper underneath, set out cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour, prep your work surface with flour, and get ahead on the dishes.
  10. Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer the dough onto your work surface (I use a butcher block dusted with flour), coat with flour, and cut in half, setting aside half to use later.
  11. Take half and roll out to ½ inch thick.
  12. Slice the rolled out dough into 2” wide by 14-16” strips and twist them into a pretzel shape. Place the twisted donuts onto the baking sheets lined with parchment paper to proof a second time while cutting out and twisting the rest of the donuts. (15 minutes).
  13. Repeat with your second ball of dough.
  14. Gather all the scraps, knead together, re-roll, and cut out more donuts.
  15. Once the oil is at 350 degrees, you can start frying. Using your skimmer, place a donut in the oil. Flip the donut after 10 seconds in the oil so both sides have been in contact with the oil (to prevent further proofing and odd-shaped donuts). Once one side has reached a golden brown color, flip and cook the other side to the same color and then remove. Don't overload your fryer as the temperature of the oil will drop. I only cook 4-5 donuts at a time if small, 2-3 if large.
  16. Let the donuts drip and cool on the cooling racks and then frost each donut with peanut butter frosting (see below) and decorate with white jimmies.
  17. Peanut Butter Frosting: Combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix, stopping to scrape the bowl with a spatula, then mix on high until creamy.
  18. Buttercream "Mustard" Frosting: Combine the confectioner's sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla extract into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix, stopping to scrape the bowl with a spatula, then mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring and mix. Continue to add yellow food coloring until you get your desired yellow color.

Oktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryOktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryOktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryOktoberfest Pretzel-Shaped Donuts and Beer Party // Salty CanaryAnd I know the official Oktoberfest in Munich ended on Monday, but did you know that they moved Oktoberfest from October to September simply because of better weather? We don’t have that problem in Los Angeles, so Oktoberfest in October it is!

Sharing is caring!

Kait

Tuesday 11th of October 2016

You never cease to amaze me with your creativity! I love this!

Andrea

Sunday 16th of October 2016

Thanks, lady! (I'm blushing)

Taylor - Lights Camera Catwalk

Friday 7th of October 2016

So creative! I love this!

Xx Taylor http://lightscameracatwalk.com

Andrea

Sunday 16th of October 2016

Thanks, Taylor!

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