Totally Addictive Sweet & Spicy Snack Mix
I dunno about you, but I’m always on the hunt for easy, fun munchies to put out for the holidays. Or to wrap up and take as a hostess gift. This mix is Chex Mix for the new millennium. It’s got an Asian twist, is sweet, salty, crunchy and a just a little bit spicy. Perfect with a nice glass of wine or a beer.
FYI, Trader Joe’s is a great place to find the components for this recipe. And when you’re done, find some gifty little glass containers or tins (for those of you around Boston, China Fair is a great spot to find these), fill ‘em up, wrap ‘em with a bow, and off you go!
Sarah’s Sweet & Spicy Snack Mix
12 c. Chex cereal (whole grain works well here, or rice) 1 1/2 lbs. roasted mixed salted nuts – low salt if you can find them (6 c.) 3 c. Asian rice cracker mix (7 oz.) 3 c. sesame sticks (8 oz.) 3 c. pretzel nuggets (8 oz.) 2 sticks unsalted butter 1/2 c. maple syrup 1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce 1 T. Thai red curry paste Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. In a large bowl (needs to be huge! or else use 2 large bowls), combine the cereal with the nuts, rice cracker mix, sesame sticks and pretzels.
Combine the butter, maple syrup, soy sauce and curry paste in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking to dissolve the curry paste. Pour the mixture over the snack mix and toss to coat. Season generously (do not be timid – it’s snack mix, it’s supposed to be salty!) with salt and pepper and spread on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Bake for approximately 1 hour, stirring frequently (every 10-15 minutes), until nearly dry and toasted. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
This makes 27 cups! Enough for a big party or several gifts/get-togethers. If you want to make this ahead of time, store in airtight containers – it’ll keep at least a couple of weeks. If you need to recrisp the mix, throw it on a baking sheet and bake at 275 for a bit, stirring occasionally.
© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.
