Festive maple snack mix

A sweet-salty-spicy treat!

My mom’s savoury nuts ‘n bolts were a highlight of the holiday snacks menu when I was growing up. I loved every component – the Cheerios, pretzels, peanuts and Shreddies, not to mention the tangy sauce that got drizzled over and baked in, making the house smell amazing. I still have a huge soft spot for this classic mix, but I’ve had fun coming up with some new varieties to spice things up. My new favourite is this maple-cayenne-cardamom infused variety. If needed, you can use gluten-free pretzels and Chex cereal. This mix makes a fantastic hostess or teacher gift …. and you might want to make a double batch as it tends to disappear very quickly.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL)canola oil
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) freshly ground cardamom seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) cayenne
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL)small pretzel twists or sticks
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) wheat squares (Shreddies) cereal
• 1 cup (250 mL) each raw almonds, pecan halves and raw whole cashews

Method
• Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine canola oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, ground cardamom, salt and cayenne. Stir to blend well.
• In a very large bowl, gently combine the pretzels, cereal and nuts.
• Drizzle the maple syrup mixture over top and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
• Spread the mixture evenly onto the lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring gently every 5 minutes. Mixture should look dry and be a deep golden colour when done.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Makes 6 cups.