Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix

I've been making this snack mix for years. I can't remember when I first came across it. Probably in one of the daily newsletter emails I get from Martha Stewart. I keep getting drawn back to it because it's so darn easy and delicious. I gave this out to co-workers for Christmas this year and had some great reviews. It doesn't photograph particularly well but I can promise you it tastes better than it looks.

 Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix
very slightly modified from Martha Stewart
serves a crowd

• 1 bag pretzel sticks
• 2 cups natural (unsalted) almonds
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Line two large baking sheets with foil and top with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together pretzels and almonds.

In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, cayenne, and water to a boil, stirring constantly. Once bubbling, pour over pretzel mixture in the bowl and gently toss to coat and combine.

Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on prepared sheets. Bake until almonds are crisp, about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Cool on the sheet before serving. Package in individual bags if you're handing it out as a gift, or keep it in a large tin or storage container in a cool place. You could easily change things up by using different nuts in the mix. I've also made it with alphabet shaped pretzels when I couldn't find pretzel sticks. It was just as delicious.

Here's a lesson from me to you - while the finished product was delicious, there was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to have gifts for people. I'm still getting used to having multiple racks in my oven. It didn't seem like the almonds were toasting so I left the mix in the oven a little longer than I should have. The result was a blackened mess on the bottom of one sheet. I spent about half an hour going through every pretzel and almond and picking out the ones that were too far gone. I think I ended up with at least a quarter of the batch in the garbage can.

A couple of "crispy" pretzels poking through

All this to say that, just because you might think your dish has turned into a disaster, there is usually a way to save it if you take a minute to think instead of immediately reacting and turfing the whole thing like I almost did. Even people who cook or bake all the time mess up. Don't let it discourage you or keep you from trying again.

What was your biggest kitchen disaster that you were able to salvage?

Chocolate Toffee Bark

This delicious treat is also known across the internet as "chocolate crack". I had a friend visiting from out of town this weekend and I wanted to pull together something pretty quick and delicious to share with her and this is what I chose. 

This is one of those recipes that is in SO MANY different places on the internet that it's impossible to know where it started out. This is my version of the classic recipe.

Chocolate Toffee Bark

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• one package chocolate chips
• one box of graham crackers
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped nuts

Line a large cookie sheet with foil and parchment. This makes cleaning up so much easier. Fill the sheet with graham crackers (or saltine/soda crackers) to cover the whole bottom.

Mix the butter and sugar together over medium heat until the butter melts and starts to bubble. The mixture won't really combine and come together until it starts to boil. Once it comes to a boil mix constantly for about five minutes and pour over the crackers.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 to 8 minutes until bubbly and heated through.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and let sit for a few minutes until the chocolate melts. You'll see the color change from chalky to shiny. When the chocolate's melted, spread across the top of the toffee.

Sprinkle with whatever toppings you'd like. I used chopped nuts and sea salt. I read a version of the recipe today that used crushed candy canes. Totally up to you.

Let the toffee cool a bit and then put it in the fridge until solid, about an hour. Break it up into smaller pieces and you're ready to go. I usually keep this in a large cookie tin in the fridge to keep the chocolate and toffee solid. The upside is that this stuff is delicious. The downside is that this stuff is so delicious that I can't stop eating it when it's in the house. As soon as the weekend was over I was forced to take the leftovers to work and keep them there so I wouldn't finish off the batch by myself. This is a great, easy treat to take to any holiday gathering.

Have you ever made a batch of chocolate "crack"?