Nuts and Bolts- They're not just for Christmas anymore

Making this snack at Christmas is a rather rigid holiday tradition in our family. Don't ask me why we have not made it at other times of the year. Other families are more flexible...our friend Jane produces it in August when her family visits the cottage on the St. Lawrence River. So, this morning I broke with tradition and baked up a big batch of Nuts and Bolts. 

Good-bye diet. Guess I won't be wearing a bathing suit this year.

Ingredients:
- 1, 400 gram box of regular Cheerios (oat cereal)
- 1, 620 gram box of Shreddies (wheat cereal)
- 1, 350 gram box of Crispix (rice and corn cereal)
- 2 smallish packages of pretzel sticks (these form the 'bolts')
- 2 pounds of nuts ( I use blanched peanuts)
- 1 pound of butter (melted)
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt (not garlic powder)
- 2 tablespoons celery salt (not celery seed)
- 4 tablespoons of Worchestershire sauce (pronounced Worstersheer)

This is how it starts...

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Since it is pretty much impossible to find a roasting pan large enough to hold all of these ingredients, I usually use 2 disposable aluminum foil roasting pans from the grocery store. However, the cottage is well-equipped and I managed with the top and bottom of the roasting pan found 'in-house'. Divide the dry ingredients evenly between the 2 pans.

Halve the pound of butter and melt each half in separate pots. Add 1 tablespoon of celery salt and garlic salt to each pot of melted butter as well as 2 tablespoons of Worchestershire sauce. Stir well, then pour the butter mixture over the dry ingredients; mix everything together with a spatula. Adjust your oven racks so that you can place both roasting pans in the oven for approximately 2 hours, stirring the mixture gently every 15 minutes. After 2 hours remove from the oven, cool completely, and pack in airtight tins or plastic containers.

Everyone loves this snack and it makes a great gift.

Nuts and Bolts... they're better than Bits and Bites.

Not your average Rice Krispies Squares

Sure, they might look like the squares you've made dozens of times, but there are subtle differences that make these ones irresistible. Most notably, brown butter and sea salt. As you can see from the photo, this recipe comes from Deb Perelman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

Ingredients:

- 8 tablespoons (or 1 stick or 1/4 pound) of unsalted butter (plus more for greasing the pan)
- heaping 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- one 10-ounce (or 285 gram) bag of marshmallows
- 6 cups (170 grams) of Rice Krispies (or more generically, puffed-rice cereal)

Instructions:

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan.

Now here is the somewhat tricky part...browning the butter. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large pot (ultimately, it needs to be large enough to hold the marshmallows and cereal too) over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn a golden colour and then start to form brown bits. Stir the butter frequently, scraping bits from the bottom as you stir. You must not leave the pot unattended since there is a very fine line between browning and burning the butter.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty colour, turn off the heat and sprinkle on the salt. Stir in the marshmallows. If there is not enough residual heat to melt them, turn the heat to low. When the marshmallows are mostly melted, remove the pot from the heat and fold in the cereal until it is evenly coated. Then turn the mixture into your prepared pan and gently press it with the back of a spatula until flat. Let cool and cut into squares.

Try not to eat all the squares yourself.

Coffee Walnut Muffins

This recipe is taken from a '70's-era cookbook by Canadian Edna Staebler called 'Food that Really Schmecks', which focuses on the Mennonite tradition of economical and wholesome ways of preparing food.

Given that I absolutely hate to waste food, I was dreaming up ways to use some increasingly stale walnuts that were in my kitchen cupboard. Prior to using them in this recipe, I freshened the nuts by toasting them briefly in a non-stick skillet. If you happen to make these muffins, you'll note that the texture of the uncooked batter is very dense. You will also notice, I think, that the instant coffee adds a subtle background flavour that complements the walnuts. The whole effect is quite satisfying in fact.

They really schmeck.

Ingredients:

- 1 Tbs instant coffee powder
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup whole milk or cream
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup melted shortening (I used margarine)
- 2 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and add the cream, beaten egg and shortening. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Stir in the walnuts. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Spoon the batter into a buttered muffin tin (12 muffin size) and bake for about 20 minutes.

Editorial Note: If you eschew instant coffee and don't have any hanging about, I'm pretty sure that you could simply use 1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee instead of instant coffee dissolved in 1/2 cup of water. 

Granola Bars (for Sasquatch)

This is a recipe from the cookbook entitled Whitewater Cooks , which is based on the food produced at the Fresh Tracks Cafe located in the Selkirk Mountain Range just south of Nelson B.C. I made these granola bars last night and distributed them at work today to positive reviews. The recipe contains a large quantity of great ingredients. The authors indicate that it makes 16 bars, but I suspect they were serving mountain creatures with very large appetites, if you get my drift.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of butter (at room temperature)
- 1 and 1/2 cups of peanut butter
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla
- 2 cups of brown sugar
- 1 cup of corn syrup
- 6 cups of oats
- 1 cup of toasted coconut
- 1 cup of toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup of toasted sesame seeds
- 2 cups of chocolate chips (or 1 cup of chocolate chips and one cup of raisins)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the coconut, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in a skillet on the stove and set aside to cool. In a (very) large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, vanilla and brown sugar. Add the corn syrup and mix in the other ingredients. Using your hands, press the mixture evenly into a 12 by 18 inch cookie tin with a lip around the edge. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the pan cool slightly but be sure to cut bars while still warm. I wrapped the bars that I made individually, in waxed paper.

Savoury/Sweet Popcorn with Cashews and Sesame Seeds

Here’s another Valentine’s Day special from the winter issue of the LCBO Food and Drink magazine.



Ingredients:

- 8 cups of popped corn (it must be au naturel)
- 1 cup of brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup of butter ( that’s 1 stick)
- ¼ cup of corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of minced or grated fresh ginger
- 1 cup of toasted, salted cashews
- 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F., then grease a large roasting pan and spread the popped corn evenly in the pan. Combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and soy sauce in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook it over a medium heat (stirring) until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook for 2 minutes without stirring, then remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the baking soda. (Prepare for a chemical reaction). When the mixture calms down, stir in the ginger. Drizzle this caramel over the popcorn, then add the cashews and stir until all of the ingredients are evenly coated. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and place it in the oven for 15 minutes. At this point, stir the mixture again, and return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the oven, sprinkle it with the sesame seeds and stir once more. Let the mixture cool for at least 5 minutes before breaking into smaller pieces. Let the corn cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. Should taste good for up to a week.

Dave, have you ever considered a career as a 'hand model'?

A Healthy Halloween Treat...now that's a scary thought

Roasted Pumpkins Seeds

If you have a pumpkin, you have seeds.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. After hollowing the pumpkin in order to make a jack-o-lantern, separate the seeds from the stringy pulp (that must have a name), place the seeds in a colander and rinse them briefly. Place drained pumpkin seeds in a bowl and add about a teaspoon of oil (just enough to lightly coat the seeds) and seasonings to taste. For 2 cups of seeds, I used approximately 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder, about a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Turn the seasoned seeds onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the seeds are toasty brown.

Editorial Note: I suspect that you can use whatever seasoning appeals to you and in whatever quantities you like. Cinnamon with a bit of sugar and salt would work well, as would garlic salt, (without the cinnamon and sugar of course).