GATHER JOURNAL

Photograph byStephen Kent Johnson Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero


    
Crunch: Sound

Crunch Mix

Amuse-Bouche from Issue 12 - Winter 2018 – The Senses

In the ‘50s, boxes of Chex began to feature recipes on the side for a party mix you could bake in the oven using the cereal, and by the late ‘80s, consumers could buy kits they could quickly assemble at home. In one 1992 Chex Mix commercial, Charlie Brown laments, “But I can’t even make toast!” to which sister Sally replies, “It’s easy and we can make more in 10 minutes!” Our updated version, with hemp and sunflower seeds and a dousing of Spike seasoning, takes little more time than that and will have the same crowd-pleasing result.

makes about 6 cups



  • 4 cups Chex or Chex-type cereal
  • 1 cup sesame stick
  • 1 ¼ cups salted and roasted nuts(cashews and peanuts are especially delicious)
  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup hemp seed
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • rounded ¼ tsp cayenne
  • ¼ tsp Spike seasoning

  • 1

    Preheat oven to 275°F.
  • 2

    Toss together cereal, sesame sticks, and nuts in a large bowl.
  • 3

    Melt butter and stir in seeds, Worcestershire, and spices, then toss this with the cereal mix stirring to coat evenly.
  • 4

    Spread onto a large, parchment-lined baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until crunchy and golden, about 35-45 minutes. Cool completely before serving.