Always a popular party mix snack is the concoction referred to as "nuts and bolts" because the combination of pretzel sticks and round oat cereal resembles the hardware. Children are fond of slipping the little oat rings over the pretzels.
Home-Made Christmas Snack Recipe
This Nuts and Bolts recipe was handed down in the author's family as "Christmas Scrabble" and was a Christmas tradition. Shopping for the ingredients in early November was exciting, and mixing and baking were fun, but the finished snack (except for what the kids managed to sample) was always packed away in big jars and it was tough waiting until the grand opening the week before Christmas.
This family recipe dates back at least to the early 1960s and possibly back to the 1940s. There are various other recipes around, using a variety of cereals and similar ingredients. One version uses the Chex brand cereals, and is common to the point where some people refer to this party snack as "Chex Mix".
There are also many commercial versions sold under a various brand names such as Christie's Bits and Bites (Méli-Mélo). However, none of the commercial nuts and bolts and few other recipes can match the flavor of this home-made spicy snack mix.
Ingredients for "Bits and Bites" Type Best Nuts and Bolts Spicy Snack Mix
Except for the butter, sauce, and seasoning salt, portions are approximate. Using more cereal, nuts, and pretzels will extend the amount of snack but will reduce the intensity of the flavor. Other cereals may be substituted for the named brands but will give a completely different flavor and texture.
- 450 g (1 lb) butter, melted (margarine may be used, but butter gives the best flavor)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) seasoning salt
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) onion salt
- 5 ml (1 tsp) garlic powder
- 250 g (1 lb) salted peanuts
- 125 g (1/2 lb) almonds
- 125 g (1/2 lb) deluxe mixed nuts, no peanuts
- 400 g (12 oz) pretzel sticks (one bag)
- 520 g (18 oz) Cheerios brand cereal (one standard box in Canada)
- 625 g (23 oz) Shreddies brand cereal (one standard box in Canada)
Decades of experimentation has shown that this recipe gives the most satisfactory results.
Directions for Making Best Spicy Snack Mix Nuts and Bolts aka "Méli-Mélo"
This is best made in a large, high-sided roasting pan, though two smaller pans can be used if necessary.
- Preheat oven to 250 F (125 C)
- Rub inside roaster(s) with garlic
- Loosely mix nuts, pretzels, and cereals in the roaster(s)
- Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat; add seasonings and mix well.
- Drizzle liquid seasoning blend over dry mix in roaster
- Stir thoroughly
- Cook at 250 F for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes
- Cool completely. Store in covered container.
Stored at a cool temperature in large, tightly sealed containers, this confection will last several months (though it's so tempting, it will seldom hang around that long!)
The flavor matures during storage and permeates the ingredients, so resist the temptation to eat it all at once!
A fancy jar full spicy nuts and bolts makes a terrific Christmas gift, and is a great "hostess gift" to take along to a party.
Other Holiday Party Recipes
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Thomas Alan Gray - Tom has been writing for over 30 years; curiosity leads him to dig into a wide variety of topics.
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