I wish you could all smell my house right now! It smells like heaven, all cinnamony and sweet! That's because I have been busy making a Hostess Gift today!
Whenever we are invited to someones house for a meal I like to bring a Hostess Gift along as a thank you! We are going to our friend's Tina and Tony's for lunch today and so I thought I would make something special for them to enjoy.
The last time we went I took along a loaf of my Irish Tea Brack. Oh, I know I could bring some After 8 Mints or some such, but I think a homemade gift is so much more personal!
I was going through my Big Blue Binder and this recipe for Pecan Crunch Snack Mix caught my eye and I happened to have everything in the house to make it. For those of you who don't know my Big Blue Binder is a recipe binder that I have been collecting recipes in throughout my life, since I was a small girl.
It is bulging with recipes gleaned from magazines, family and friends throughout the years and it has traveled all around the world with me. It is filled with the best of the best, and this is one of those recipes!
A few are clippings, but most are handwritten. I used to have beautiful handwriting. Not so much anymore. I have gotten out of practice. This is one of the hand written ones!
I have not noted the source of the recipe, but strongly suspect it was taken from an add for Shreddies breakfast cereal!
It makes for the perfect snack mixture and Hostess Gift. Sweet and salty . . .
Crisp and crunchy . . . with plenty of sugared pecans, toasted cereal and sweet stick dried cranberries . . .
And throughout the scent and flavor of cinnamon and honey . . . tantalisingly rich and wonderful . . .
It makes enough for two jars to give away and a small container to keep and is as easy as stirring together some cereal, nuts, cinnamon and cranberries . . .
and cooking a sweet concoction to toss them with, prior to spreading it all out on a baking sheet and toasting it in the oven for about half an hour. Easy Peasy!
Yield: 6 1/2 cups
Author: Marie Rayner
Pecan Crunch Snack Mix
One from my big blue binder. I am sure I copied it from an ad in a magazine for Shreddies cereal. Delicious addictive! This makes great hostess gifts as well.ingredients:
- 520g shreddies cereal (4 cups)
- 120g coarsely broken pecan nuts
- 50g dried cranberries (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 50g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
- 60g butter (1/4 cup)
- 60ml corn syrup, golden syrup or honey (1/4 cup)
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
instructions:
How to cook Pecan Crunch Snack Mix
- Preheat the oven to 120*C/250*F/ gas mark 2. Butter a large baking sheet with a rim really well. Measure the cereal, pecans and cinnamon into a bowl and toss together.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly over medium high heat. Once it comes to the boil. allow it to boil for 2 minutes without stirring. Take off heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. It will foam up. Pour this over the cereal mixture in the bowl and toss to coat using a spoon. (The mixture will be very hot so don't touch it with your hands!!) Spread out on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring it every 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and lightly coated. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
This is so good I am glad that I am giving most of it away. Its far too dangerous to have around for very long! I hope that Tina and Tony enjoy it!
Up Tomorrow: Maple & Spice Corn Bread
