Care Package #1: Oktoberfest!

I've been waiting very impatiently to be able to write about the first care package I was able to send Brian. It was so much fun to put together, and I had to wait SOOOOO long to send it. But on Monday, November 9 I was finally able to ship out Brian's Oktoberfest-themed box, and it only took seven days to get to him! The fact that I actually thought I would be able to send him something in October speaks to my new-found optimism...

Since I am still learning how to seal and ship home baked goods so that they will arrive and be edible, I thought it wise to also include some more shelf-stable goodies as well.

World Market has a great selection of international food, so I grabbed:
Pumpernickel bread
Desiree wafer cookies
Ritter chocolates
Sausages (ok, these were actually from Wisconsin, but still, they're sausage)

And what October package would be complete without some Halloween candy corn! I also included a photo album (that had a picture of me in Germany from 2004) and my favorite movie from this year: The Watchmen.

As for baked goods, I tried my hand at making soft pretzels. I'm not sure if they are really of German origin, but when I was in Germany I had pretzels almost everyday and they were wunderbar! Here's the recipe, but be warned: they got a bit moldy before arriving in Iraq. I think if I baked them a bit longer they may have lasted... trial and error!


Soft Pretzels
From The Joy of Cooking
Combine in a mixing bowl:
1 C water (105 - 115°)
1 Package Active Dry yeast

When dissolved, add and beat at least 3 minutes:
1.5 C sifted all purpose flour
2 TBS soft butter
1 TBS sugar
.5 tsp salt

Stir in:
1.25 C sifted all purpose flour
And knead until the dough loses its stickiness. Let rise in a covered greased bowl until doubled in bulk. Punch down and divide into 12 pieces. With palms, roll pieces into 18-inch lengths about pencil thickness, tapering the ends slightly. Loop into a twisted pretzels shape and place on a greased baking sheet and let rise until almost doubled in bulk.

Pre-heat oven to 475°. Have ready a boiling solution of:
4 C water
5 tsp baking soda (do not use an aluminum pot for this)

With a slotted spoon, carefully lower the pretzels into the water for about 1 minute. Return them to the greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and bake until crispy and browned, about 12 minutes.