Snacks and Appetizers Archives

September 15, 2016

Peanut Pretzel Bars

Now that school is back in session, I’m back to grocery shopping by myself and it feels like such a luxury. Among all of the many activities that I love doing with my children, grocery shopping is not one of them. Because shopping with them is bit tricky, I try hard to stay organized with my list and I make the outings as quick as I can. I celebrated my first grocery shopping trip sans-children by meandering slowly through the aisles while basking in the quietness of it all. The snack aisle is my weakness, and there were these peanut pretzel bars that caught my eye. I slipped the box into my cart and managed to wait until I got into the car to break into one. It was the perfect balance of sweet and salty, and peanut butter along with dark chocolate is always a winning combination. Within two days I had my own version- a crispy, chewy no-bake bar filled with peanuts, pretzels, oats, and brown rice crisps. It’s bound together with peanut butter and brown rice syrup, and finished off with a quick dip in melted dark chocolate. For the longest time I’d resisted brown rice syrup, not wanting to buy yet another variety of sweetener, and instead sticking with the more common honey or maple syrup. My curiosity got the best of me and I finally tried brown rice syrup. And it really does make a better snacking bar. It lends to a perfect chewy texture, has a much more mild flavor than the more pronounced honey and maple syrup, and is completely worth the extra storage space in the pantry. Hope you enjoy. xo

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January 20, 2016

Spicy Honey Crostini with Pears and Walnuts

Crostini is almost always my appetizer of choice for bringing along to share at suppers and gatherings because I find little toasts with toppings irresistible and the variations are endless. I recently discovered Bees Knees Spicy Honey through the Hatchery and it makes the most outstanding crostini. For those of you not yet familiar with the Hatchery, they are a company that focuses on bringing small and independent artisans together in one online marketplace. In addition to purchasing full size products through their marketplace, each month you can also sample various ingredients from these makers through their unique tasting boxes. I’ve been receiving Hatchery tasting boxes for the past few months and each month I feel inspired to incorporate new flavors and spices into my cooking that I might not have otherwise tried. And just in case you need some ideas, each box comes with a guide which introduces each of the makers and provides pairing suggestions for each ingredient. Their marketplace sells jams, honeys, nut butters, spice blends, cooking sauces, oils, vinegars, and so much more. Almost anything you could want to make your time in the kitchen just a little more interesting and exciting is sold at the Hatchery. This spicy honey is one that I’ve been particularly smitten with. It’s infused with chili peppers and has just enough bite to spark a curiosity and leave you wanting more. Here it’s drizzled over juicy fresh pears and toasty walnuts layered on a spread of whipped fresh ricotta and creamy goat cheese. The combination is heavenly.

Right now the Hatchery is kindly offering Gather & Dine readers an opportunity to try their first tasting box for just $10 when you use the code GATHERANDDINE at checkout. And for this week only, they are offering G&D readers 15% off all marketplace purchases when you use the code HATCHGD15 at checkout. (Disclaimer: Discount may not be used in conjunction with any other discounts.) They currently have a new batch of Bees Knees in stock, but I’ve seen this honey sell out on numerous occasions so get some while you can!

December 3, 2015

Simple Spiced Mixed Nuts

I hope all of my American friends had lovely Thanksgivings filled with rest and gratitude. I spent the week with my sister’s family and I’m feeling refreshed, renewed, and ready for the joyous holiday season. We’ve been enjoying this version of spiced nuts for some time now, but it’s so easy and simple I hadn’t deemed them worthy enough to share before now. I had made them when it was Ryan’s turn to bring snacks to his tennis league and he came home telling me how much the guys loved them. It was a good reminder that sometimes simple is best… and who doesn’t love both a simple and delicious recipe? December seems like the perfect month for these because there are so many gatherings, so many snacks, and I imagine that a big bowl of these would be welcome at any festive occasion. These would also make delightful host and hostess gifts as well as beautiful holiday gifts. The recipe comes from one my mom used to make for us growing up, but I’ve also incorporated some of the spices from Tara’s Seven Spoons version. I had really wanted to make these with honey or maple syrup, but it just didn’t turn out quite right with those. Both were tasty, but they didn’t quite have that crisp crunchy sweet coating that I was looking for. These are a bit less sugary than many of the other recipes out there, but still plenty sweet. The combination of cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne balance out the sugar for the perfect savory, salty, sweet snack. Happy December my friends!