Apple Cinnamon Bagels

Fall is fast approaching and cooler weather has come to Michigan.  Fall is our favorite time of year, the weather, the smells, the apple orchards, hay rides, bonfires...I could go on and on.  I was talking to my friend Lauren and she asked me for advice on how to make Apple Cinnamon Bagels.  Unfortunately, I have never had them before, nor had any bright ideas she probably hadn't thought of before...until I looked on my counter.  I have a whole row of popcorn spices on my counter-top from Kernel Seasons and one of those spices happens to be Apple Cinnamon.  So, I went ahead and tried a new variation on my bagels today during my Sunday "freezer restocking" session!

Apple Cinnamon Bagels

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 c. warm water
• 1 T. instant yeast
• 1 T. packed light brown sugar
• 1 T. salt
• 2 T. Kernel Seasons Apple Cinnamon seasoning (plus more for sprinkling before baking)
  
• 3 c. bread flour
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. honey, for boiling water

Directions

• In bowl of stand mixer (or regular bowl), combine water, yeast and brown sugar.  Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Add salt, flours and Apple Cinnamon seasoning and mix well.
• Knead with the dough hook for 8 minutes (or by hand for 10 minutes) until smooth and elastic.
• Transfer dough to large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or towel.  Let rise 1 hour or until doubled.
• Turn dough out onto countertop and divide into 12-16 (depending on how large/small) round pieces.  Make bagel shape by punching thumb through the center and gently stretching out until it's the size you desire and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  *The dough will shrink back a bit, so I recommend over-stretching a bit larger than you actually want.
• Let bagels rise for another 30 minutes covered with clean kitchen towels.
• While bagels are rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
• Begin to boil about 8 cups of water and add the honey.
• After second rise, put as many bagels into the water as will fit comfortably, boiling for 30 sec.-1 min. per side.  Remove from water and place back on cookie sheet, sprinkling with a little more Apple Cinnamon seasoning on top.  Repeat with all the bagels.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 22-24 minutes, until golden brown.