Turn Boxed Cake Mix Into An Old Mall Food Court Treat

Whether it is to stave off hints of hunger or to reward oneself for not overspending at the mall, pretzels can be the perfect portable snack for an afternoon of window shopping. And why not turn this into a sweet treat, while you're at it. A dessert pretzel, once the favorite of many a mall food court denizen, is versatile enough to satisfy cravings from sweet to salty while pairing effortlessly with cheese and chocolate alike. There is no reason to limit your pretzel enjoyment to fairs and malls, though, especially when you have boxed cake mix sitting in your pantry. You can easily make some memorable and delicious pretzels with that mix.

While you can keep it simple with yellow cake mix, you might find greater joy in experimenting with other flavors in your pantry. Picture this: a hot fresh chocolate pretzel dipped in melted chocolate. Better yet, think about the festive spectacle of a colorful Funfetti pretzel served up at a barbecue or birthday party. Of course, there doesn't need to be a special occasion to enjoy, say, a chewy red velvet pretzel dipped in cream cheese frosting. The sky's the limit when it comes to making the most of your boxed cake mix-turned pretzel delight. To make it, you'll need the mix, of course, along with flour, yeast

Baking soft pretzels is one of the best non-cake uses for boxed cake mixes of any flavor. To get started, add about 1 ½ cups of warm water and stir in about 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast. Then, slowly stir in about 1 ¾ cups of the boxed cake mix and about 2 ½ cups of flour. Once everything is combined, knead the dough until it is smooth. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let it rise for about an hour, then split it into 10 to 12 equal pieces and roll into ropes. After twisting the ropes into the classic pretzel shape, briefly place them in boiling water (with a tablespoon of baking soda in the water to enhance chewiness, crust formation, and browning) until they rise up from the bottom of the pot to float.

After giving the pretzels a final bake until golden brown (12 minutes at 350 degrees is a safe bet, though other sources suggest going up to 450 degrees) they can be dressed with salt, sprinkles, or any icing that pairs well with the cake mix base. And since all things come full circle, you should consider adding in pretzels to your boxed cake mix next.