Snacks in the Crockpot?! Awesome!

This was one of those things that I'd seen several recipes and always thought, "I should try that" and then never did. Today I did it. I made sugared (also called spiced) nuts in the crockpot! Verdict: so good that I'm making walnuts this afternoon after making pecans this morning! Fantastic snack addition to the Friday night family movie night snack lineup! Seriously, these were very easy to make. This recipe could easily be adapted to various spice/seasoning combinations, and it could definitely be used on a wide variety of nuts or nut combinations. To store, I would think they would keep in an airtight container for a month or so with no problem, and longer storage would be easy in the freezer. Go ahead, try these. They're easy, delicious, and basically nuts so good for you, right?

The recipe came from Recipezaar (Charmie777), and the one problem I had with the recipe is that it neglected to say what size crockpot to use. I used my big, oval, 6 quart crockpot, and that is definitely a great one to use, as it allows for very even heating. If you double the recipe, maybe tweak the amount of butter used or be prepared to let it cook a little longer since you have more liquid to cook off.

Crock Pot Sugared Nuts (I'll save this one as Spiced Nuts)
1 lb nuts
1/2 c. unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat crockpot on high for 15 minutes (lid on).
2. In preheated crockpot, stir together the nuts and butter until mixed well.
3. Add the powdered sugar, and stir to coat evenly. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and uncover, and slow cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, cooking until the nuts are coated with a glaze and there isn't any liquid left in the bottom.
5. Transfer the nuts to a bowl, a sheet of waxed paper, or a sheet of parchment paper.
6. In a small bowl, combine the spices, then sift them over the nuts, stirring to coat them evenly. Cool before serving.

Walking on the Wild Side with Pumpkin

Today's pumpkin foods are peanut butter pumpkin dip and pumpkin bread pudding. I did the dip as the kids' after school snack, serving it with the cinnamon sugar pita chips, pretzel sticks, and apple slices. It was pronounced a success by the kids and me, and it was incredibly easy to make. It would also be good with carrots and celery, graham crackers, that sort of thing. I was really impressed with the gusto with which my kids put away the dip and dippers! As for the pumpkin bread pudding.... A custard is a very old way of cooking a creamy sauce or dish based on eggs and milk, with recipes dating back to the 1300s. Many custards are sweet, but some are savory, with the most common savory use in the U.S. being quiche. Pumpkin pie is a sweet custard pie. The buckle I made on Wednesday night had a custard bottom. Bread pudding is usually custard with bread in it and served with a sauce often made from alcohol ("hard sauce") or maybe syrup. This pumpkin bread pudding is exactly that - a pumpkin custard laced liberally with a rich bread, in this case a brioche I had made that had some pumpkin in it. It is very good, and I can see it being a very nice holiday brunch dish.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dip and Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips
Dip:
1/2 c. smooth peanut butter (not natural style)
3/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/8 c. honey
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until well blended - it will have a slightly whipped texture. A mixer will do well, too, but a food processor is better.
Pita Chips:
1 12-oz package pita bread (I used whole wheat pitas)
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Split pita bread in half so you have two rounds from each pita. Cut into triangles or rectangles with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Lay pita pieces on a cookie sheet in one layer, rough side up, spray lightly with cooking spray, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
4. Bake for 7-9 minutes until chips are browned and crisp. Watch carefully, as they will go from perfect to burned very quickly.
5. Remove from the oven, cool, and repeat with remaining pita pieces.
Store dip in the refrigerator and the pita chips in an airtight container.
Recipe from Recipezaar.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
1 1/4 c. 2% milk (I used Silk regular soy milk)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten (I used 3/4 c. Eggbeaters)
15 oz canned pumpkin
4 1/2 c. egg rich bread, such as brioche or challah, cut into 1/2" cubes - the egg rich bread gives a fuller flavor than white bread
nonstick cooking spray (I used margarine to grease the baking dish)
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. pecans, chopped and toasted
1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a lage bowl, combining well with a whisk.
2. Add bread, tossing gently to coat.
3. Spoon mixture into an 8x8 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover with foil. Chill at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Place the 8x8 baking dish in a 13x9 baking dish. Add hot water to the 13x9 baking dish to a depth of 1".
6. Bake, with the 8x8 dish covered with the foil, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. **I baked covered for 25 minutes, then baked uncovered for 35 minutes, checking it every 10 minutes. After 10 minutes uncovered, it was still obviously wet, and a knife stuck in the center came out covered in the custard. Another 10 minutes, and it wasn't as bad but not done. Five more minutes, and the knife had only small amounts of custard clinging to it. The bread cubes around the edges were looking a little dry; in the future, I would bake covered for 35 minutes and uncovered 25 minutes.
7. Serve each serving of bread pudding warm with about 1 T maple syrup and 1 1/2 tsp pecans spooned over the top.
Recipe from Recipezaar.