Soft Pretzels with a Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce

The recipe for the salt pretzels comes from my bread machine cook book.  If you don't have a bread maker just google a good soft pretzel recipe that you can make on your own.  I'm loving my bread maker all over again these days.  So easy- no mess, no stress, lots of fun things to do with it.

Ingredients:

Pretzels:
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp shortening
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp bread machine yeast

Topping:
1 egg
1 tbsp water
coarse kosher salt

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
pinch of salt

Directions:

Pretzels:
Add the pretzel ingredients to your bread maker in the order that they are listed.  Set to Dough cycle. After the dough is ready, take it out of the bread machine, place on a lightly floured surface and cover with a big bowl.  Let rest for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350.  Once dough has rested, divide into 12 pieces and roll each one into a rope.  Shape into whatever pretzel shape you please.  Mix the egg and water together and brush over formed pretzels.  Sprinkle coarse kosher salt all over.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Sauce:
Melt butter in small sauce pan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour then mustard then milk till it starts to thicken.  Add in shredded cheese.  Add salt to taste.