"This Stuff is Ridiculous" Snack Mix

It's true . . .

This stuff is ridiculous!

It's absolutely perfect and you want to keep eating it to see if the next bite tastes as good as the last bite.

It's crazy thinking, I know.

But we can't seem to stop ourselves with this stuff around!

Matter of fact, I've put it in the pantry so that it's not sitting out in plain sight!

Not that this has helped curb the desire to have "just one bite,"

but maybe it's helped us to not devour the entire snack mix in one day!

This is from a friend of mine in Texas.

She makes this year 'round, I believe.

That would be dangerous too!

She calls it "Maple Munch,"

but we've affectionately renamed it,

"This Stuff is Ridiculous" Snack Mix

2 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup Karo Syrup (white corn syrup)
1/2 tsp. vanilla*
1/2 tsp. baking soda
 1 small bag pretzels (I used gluten free and I only used 1/2 of a bag)
1 bag corn chex
2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1 bag hulless pouffed corn, plain or butter flavored (I find this at Aldi's) **

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and spray with pam, or use a silpat liner.

In a large bowl, put the pretzels, chex cereal, and hulless puffed corn.

In a sauce pan, add the sugar, butter, and syrup and melt together, stirring often.  Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and baking soda.  Stir in the ingredients to incorporate well.

Pour the caramel ingredients over the ingredients in the bowl and, working quickly, stir together to evenly coat the cereal mixture.

Divide the coated mixture between the 2 baking sheets.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes.  At the end or the time, gently stir the mixture around and return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove the mix from the oven and allow to cool.

Break apart and place in a container for enjoyment.

*I used King Arthur's Vanilla Butternut flavoring.  Maple flavoring could easily be substituted.

**My friend uses the caramel mixture and simply omits the pretzels, nuts, and corn chex and only uses 2 full bags of the hulless puffed corn.

***You may check your local grocery store or Walmart for the puffed corn.