Sweet and Spicy Nicey Mix
½ Cup spicy almonds (I used wasabi almonds) (You could also use any wasabi spiced dried pea etc or chili spiced nuts.)
¾ Cup dry roasted peanuts (don’t go low salt)
2 Cups rice chex or plain cereal of choice. (alternatively, you could use crackers, pretzels, chips of choice, popcorn)
½ Cup caramel sauce
Dump peanuts and nuts in a bowl, add caramel sauce and stir well to coat. Toss in cereal or other add-ins and stir very well. Dump contents on a well greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet or pizza pan. Put in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Leave in the oven and turn off heat and let cool. Break up into smaller bites.
This will seem wet when it’s done cooking. But will harden into a glaze when it’s dry. The spice gets incorporated throughout so it’s not intense. But the sweet, salty, spice is nice.
Caramel Sauce Recipe
2 cups sugar (brown or white)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar or corn syrup
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
1 1/2 T. Earth Balance
pinch of salt
Over medium high heat bring the sugar, corn syrup/honey/agave and water to a boil while stirring very well to dissolve the sugar. Turn heat to low and simmer approximately 11-12 minutes until the color changes. Stir frequently. Remove heat. Add (carefully as the mixture is very hot) the milk, Earth Balance and salt and stir until smooth.
The sauce makes approx 1 and ½ Cups. (Store the rest in the refrigerator or halve the recipe.)
