Recipe - Neujahrspretzel (New Years Pretzels)

2 cup Milk
One half cup Butter Or Margarine
2 pack Yeast; Active, Dry
2 teaspoon Salt
One half cup Sugar
7 cup Flour; Unbleached
2 Eggs; Large
1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
;Water
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
One fourth cup Almonds; Chopped

Heat milk and butter until very warm (120130 degrees F.). Mix yeast, salt,
sugar, and 1 cup flour. Slowly beat into warm milk. Beat for 2 minutes.
Add eggs and 1 cup of flour. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add enough
flour to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5
minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl. Let rise in a warm place until
doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and let rise again until
doubled. (1 hour more). Divide dough in half. Shape pretzel as follows:
Roll dough into a rope about 30 inches long and 1 One half inches in diameter.
Cross the ends leaving a large loop in the center. Flip loop back onto
crossed ends to form a pretzel. Repeat with remaining dough. Place pretzels
on greased baking sheets. Let rise 15 minutes more. Bake at 375 degrees F
for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Mix
confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla to form a thin icing. Spread icing
on pretzels and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Makes 2 large pretzels.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini