Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

This Spiced Nut Mix is completely addictive! I love the sweet maple glaze, kissed with smoky chipotle, a pinch of cayenne, and finished with crunchy flaky sea salt. Salt, heat, smokey, and sweet - what’s not to love?

Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 cups mixed raw nuts, shelled

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

• 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• pinch ground cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position.

• In a large bowl, combine dark brown sugar, pure maple syrup, melted butter, chipotle powder, cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, and cayenne pepper,; add nuts and stir until evenly coated.

• Pour nut mixture into an even layer on a parchment-lined half sheet pan; sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

• Remove from oven and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Blueberry Delight Slab Pie

Blueberries are my favorite berry, especially tiny wild Maine blueberries. Here the delectable little orbs are featured in a triple-layer slab pie that can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Alternatively, you can make the individual components separately and assemble everything a few hours before serving. Need to feed a crowd? The recipe can easily be doubled (see my notes below).

When brought to a gathering a few days ago, this was a hit. Several people told me they’d happily eat the entire batch. Requests for the recipe quickly followed. It’s a winner.

Start by making a simple crust from flour, melted butter, and finely chopped pecans. Bake and cool completely.

Next, spread the creamy vanilla filling on the crust.

Lastly, add the luscious homemade blueberry topping. That’s it - super simple.

To cut neatly, it’s best to press a sharp knife straight down, without dragging, then lift the knife straight up, wipe clean, and repeat. If you drag a knife through, the crumbly crust and creamy filling make a huge mess. Of course, it’ll still taste amazing, but it just won’t be very pretty.

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• quarter sheet pan with cover https://amzn.to/2TVKWXS

• half sheet pan with cover (double recipe) https://amzn.to/3LtEEXE

• microplane zester https://amzn.to/38DludK

• lemon squeezer https://amzn.to/2TWLJb5

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Blueberry Delight Slab Pie

makes 24 servings (2x2-inch squares) *recipe may be doubled - see notes below

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 8 tablespoons salted butter, melted

• 3/4 cups finely chopped pecans

Filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

• 3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 cup heavy cream

Topping:

• 3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (or more if needed)

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• zest of 1 lemon

• 2-3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

To Make the Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and melted butter together until no traces of dry flour remain.

3. Press the flour mixture into the bottom of a quarter sheet pan (9x13x1); sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly on top and press them into the soft flour/butter layer.

4. Bake crust in preheated oven for 30 minutes; remove from oven and cool completely.

To Make the Filling:

1. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, salt, and vanilla until very soft (several minutes); set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks form; add about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and mix well.

3. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, carefully fold the remaining whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined.

4. Spread mixture evenly over cooled crust; chill until ready to top.

To Make the Topping:

• In a large saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest over medium-high heat, stirring very frequently, until mixture reaches a full boil; stir constantly for 3 minutes before removing from heat.

• Stir in lemon juice and taste to see if the mixture is sweet enough (I used Wyman’s frozen wild blueberry - if the berries you’re using are more tart that the ones I used, you’ll need to add more sugar); allow mixture to cool completely.

• Spread blueberry filling evenly on top and chill. Serve cold.

Notes

• If you’re tempted to double the creamy filling (and you may very well be), use a 9x13-inch cake pan or casserole dish instead of a 1-inch tall quarter sheet pan.

• To double the recipe, use a 13x18x1 half sheet pan or a 2-inch deep half sheet pan if you make the creamy filling extra thick.

• Ideally, chill for several hours before serving.

• Can be assembled up to 3 days ahead.

• Cover before refrigerating to prevent flavor transfer.