My grandmother always made this classic salty snack for the holidays – she called it ‘Nuts and Bolts’ and used the fancy mixed roasted nuts that include Brazil nuts and cashews, and pretzel sticks to be the ‘bolts.’ I looked forward to it every year. These days, my version is festively green and red (this is the perfect time of year to use Matcha in cooking, isn’t it?!) and has an addictive salty and sweet twist because of the dried cranberries. I prefer butter for the best flavor, but you can use vegan spread for a dairy-free version. For a truly veg version, keep in mind that most Worcestershire Sauce contains anchovy, so choose a vegan variety. Switch out the nuts for seeds or peanuts, if tree nut allergies are a concern.

Gluten Free Matcha Cranberry Snack Mix

Ingredients:

4 cups Corn Chex-Style Cereal

4 cups Rice Chex-Style Cereal

1 cup Mixed Nuts (or peanuts or pumpkin seeds)

3 cups Gluten-Free Mini Pretzels (use the sticks if you want the true Nuts and Bolts)

1 cup Dried Cranberries

6 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 ½ tsp Salt

¾ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Matcha Powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250° F and prepare two large cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, cranberries, and pretzels; set aside.
Melt the butter and gently stir in seasonings.
Pour the mixture over the cereal; stir until evenly coated.
Spread the mixture out on the sheets in a single layer.
Bake one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.