Dear Eric: For years, I made nuts and bolts to be divided among my family for Christmas. This became a tradition for us. I used to buy the spice mix at the Cairo Coffee Shop on Fort Street. But the shop was sold and unfortunately, I failed to ask the owner if he would be willing to part with his spice-mix recipe. I have not been able to come up with a good recipe for the spice mix or the nuts and bolts as a whole. Can you help me out?
Eleanor Cyr
Dear Eleanor: As you know, nuts and bolts are a snack concoction made by seasoning, mixing and baking a combination of cereals, nuts, crackers and other items.
A few years ago, another reader asked me for a recipe for nuts and bolts, which is also known as bits and bites or party mix. Her specification was that it be flavourful, but not overly loaded with salt.
I achieved that by carefully choosing ingredients and ended up with a mix that contained less than 25 per cent of the sodium found in a store-bought bag of Christie's brand Bits & Bites. I added no additional salt to my mix, instead flavouring it with spices and vegetable powders, something Eleanor discovered can add a fine flavour if the right blend is used.
For added nutrition, I included two types of unsalted nuts and items that were whole grain. I also added some Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce but, because they are fairly sodium-rich, I used modest amounts.
Despite being healthier, my nuts and bolts were very tasty. Indeed, the moment they came out of the oven, my family started to gobble them up.
Below is a version of that recipe that I think Eleanor will also like. I had to alter it slightly, since two items I used in my initial recipe were unavailable.
I don't often name brands in my recipes, but to get the desired taste and mix of textures, I had to in this case. Eleanor, once you try it, or as you make it, you can adjust things to suit your taste.
NICELY SPICED NUTS AND BOLTS
Once they're baked and cooled, store nuts and bolts in airtight bags or containers. At room temperature, they keep a few weeks, but likely won't last that long.
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Makes: About 13 cups or 52 (1/4 cup) servings
2 cups whole blanched almonds
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
2 cups whole-grain pretzel sticks, broken in half if long (see Note)
2 1/2 cups Life multigrain cereal
1 1/2 cups whole-grain Cheerios
20 Triscuit whole-grain crackers (with 61 per cent less sodium), each halved lengthwise
1 cup whole-grain Goldfish crackers
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Place one oven rack in the middle-upper portion of the oven.
Place a second rack in the lower-middle part of the oven. Preheat the oven to 250 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Place the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the oil mixture over the items in the large bowl. Toss well and then divide and spread on the two baking sheets.
Place one baking sheet in the upper part of the oven. Set the other sheet in the lower part.
Bake for 30 minutes, and then give the mix on each baking sheet a stir. Swap the positions of the two baking sheets. Bake for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the ingredients are aromatic and nicely toasted.
Cool to room temperature before storing.
Note: The pretzels I used in this recipe were Mary's Organic Sticks and Twigs Pretzels.
Eric Akis is the author of the just-published, hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
