I love that my generation has taken a hold of snacks and made them into not only a socially-acceptable mode of daily nutrition but a hallowed one. If you're not entirely sure of the current snack pseudonyms, see; charcuterie, tapas, tastings, flights…

I love snacks. I’ll willingly admit my hypocrisy as I am also the mother chanting mantras from ‘Bringing Up Bebe’ to my daughter when she angles for Cheerios in between mealtimes. Adulthood comes with privileges though, right?

I really was not sure that this fall-i-fied situation would work out. I knew I wanted the cider to really pack a punch and make itself known, but I also knew that soggy Chex are about as exciting as chipped nail polish.

* She writes while staring at her own disappointing late-summer pedi. *

It took some finagling, testing, retesting, and lots of snacking.

The result was something undeniably cider-y, faintly spicy, with salty-sweet aspects in perfect balance. It’s full of apple flavor but without any green-apple-candy vibes. Cause we’re grown now.

This is the snack you can take to the bonfire, pumpkin-carving party, apple-picking adventure, or cozy movie night. I love that it ticks off the salty-sweet boxes and still feels very thematic for this magical season. Hey, did you guys know that I love fall?! Heehee.

Now that I have hopefully convinced you that you need this in your life, perhaps you won’t balk too much at the effort involved. We have got some steps here. That said, it still comes together without leaving too many dishes left behind.

* Deep breath * There are three “extra” steps involved here.

In order to capture the punch of apple cider without making our mix soggy, we have to reduce apple cider until it is syrupy and concentrated. In that same pan, we will also brown the butter, bring some nutty, toffee-like notes to the party that will seriously warm up the flavors we have going on here. Lastly, even though the mix will spend an hour in the oven when it’s all combined, pre-toasting the pecans is a must.

During quarantine, I got gutsy and began pushing nuts to the very edge of toastiness. I’m a risktaker, guys. The pay-off is incredible. Optimal pecan flavor is only ten oven minutes away.

After you have finished reducing, browning, and toasting, you are just a few tussles, stirs, and 15-minute Bluey breaks (it’s 100% acceptable to watch even if your toddler is playing in the other room) away from apple-y, crunchy, happiness.

Um, did we just make the perfect snack?

SPICED APPLE CIDER CHEX MIX 

makes about three quarts

• 4 1/2 cups corn Chex 

• 4 1/2 cups rice Chex

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free pretzels

• 1 cup pecan halves 

• 2 cups apple chips

• 1/2 cup rolled oats 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned

• 1/3 cup apple cider syrup, reduced from 1 1/3 cups

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon molasses 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and spread pecans evenly over the surface. Toast for 5-7 minutes; until the pecans are fragrant and have deepened in color.

Pour 1 1/3 cups apple cider into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a heavy simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer steadily for 15-20 minutes; until the cider has reduced down to 1/3 cup.  Transfer to a jar and allow the mixture to cool while you brown the butter. 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

Add butter to the same pan you used to reduce the cider and melt over medium heat.  Bring the butter to a simmer, then reduce heat slightly and allow to simmer and pop until you see dark brown flecks form at the bottom of the pan and the butter deepen in color. Be careful during this process as the hot butter may splatter.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in brown sugar and reduced apple cider. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk until the brown sugar has dissolved and a thick syrup has formed; about 2 minutes.  Stir in molasses, vanilla, spices, and salt.  

In a large bowl, combine Chex, pretzels, pecans, apple chips, and oats.  Pour the brown sugar mixture over the Chex and toss to coat. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour the Chex onto the pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring and tossing every 15 minutes. 

Allow the mixture to cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes before transferring to a large bowl or an airtight container. If kept airtight, this mix will keep for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!