Panera Bread Bagels and Honey Walnut Cream Cheese Spread

Panera Bread Honey Walnut Cream Cheese Spread

enjoy your bagels with this -



1 8 ounce package of Neufchatel cream cheese

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon molasses

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts







If desired toast nuts by placing in a skillet over medium heat. Heat just until the walnuts become fragrant. When the walnuts become fragrant remove from the skillet. Watch the skillet closely, there is a short time between the nuts being toasted and burnt. Allow the nuts to cool completely.



In a small bowl combine room temperature cream cheese, honey, molasses, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir cream cheese until all of the ingredients are well blended. Chop walnuts and stir into the cream cheese.



Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.







Panera Bagels







2 teaspoons of active dry yeast



1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar



1/2 cup warm water



2 cups white flour



1 1/2 cups wheat flour



1 teaspoon of salt



1 1/4 cup warm water



1/2 cup honey



Optional Toppings:



Egg wash



mixture of minced onion, poppyseeds, sesame seeds, minced garlic etc.



Oats



Cheese







In a small bowl, place 1/2 cup warm water, sugar, and yeast. Do not stir and let it sit five minutes. After five minutes, sugar and yeast.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours and salt. Create a well in the middle, and pour in the yeast/sugar mixture. Pour half of the remaining water into the well and mix. Pour in the remaining water, 1/4 cup water at a time until it is a firm, moist dough (you may not need all the water, depending on where you live.)

Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a floured surface. Use additional flour as needed.

Lightly coat a bowl with oil and place dough ball into it. Cover with a damp dish cloth and let it rise for about an hour in a warm place, until doubled in size. After the hour, punch down, cover again, and let rise about another 10 minutes.

Divide dough into about 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a dough round.

Gently poke a hole through the center of each dough round with your finger, expanding the hole to be about 1/3 the size of the entire round. Place on an oiled cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough rounds.

Cover the dough rounds with a damp kitchen cloth and let rest ten minutes.

In the mean time, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of water, with 1/4 cup honey added, to a boil.

Lower bagels into pot of honey water using a slotted spoon. Let them boil on each side for about 45 seconds. After boiling, remove with a slotted spoon, shake a little to remove excess water, and place back on cookie sheet. Brush each bagel with egg wash, and if desired, top with toppings. I did half with the everything mixture, and then half with oats on top.

Bake for 20 minutes, and cool on a wire cooling rack.