I make lots of party mixes during the holidays, but I prefer to make them a bit more interesting than the back-of-the-box Chex mix. This is a variation of an oldie but goodie from Gourmet magazine. The original recipe called for cayenne pepper, but some people said it was too spicy. Now I just use several drops of Tabasco sauce, which gives it flavor without too much heat. We ate a big batch over Thanksgiving weekend.Curried Party Mix
Adapted from Gourmet, December 1994
Makes about 12 cups.
6 cups mixed cereals (I used rice Chex, bite-size shredded wheat, and Cheerios)
1 1/2 cups sesame sticks
1 1/2 cups small thin pretzels
1 cup almonds
1 cup roasted peanuts --honey roasted also work well
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 drops (or to taste) Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 250°F.
In a large bowl toss together cereals, sesame sticks, pretzels, and nuts. In a small saucepan melt butter with soy sauce over moderately low heat and whisk in curry powder, sugar, cayenne, and salt. Drizzle butter mixture over cereal, tossing well, and spread in a shallow roasting pan. Bake mixture 1 hour and transfer to a bowl to cool completely. Party mix keeps in an airtight container 1 month.