Spicy Nuts and Pretzels & Ultimate Beer Lover’s Giveaway

Learn the secrets for all your favorite bar snacks and what beers pair best with them with the new Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour Cookbook.

From the award-winning author of The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Cookbook, comes the new brew-worthy cookbook called The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour containing over 325 recipes for the best bar snacks and beer cocktails. With recipes such Spicy Friday Night Nuts and Flying Buffalo at the Tap Pizza, you will discover the tricks to making the usual favorites and some fun new finds. Every bar snack also comes with pairing suggestions to maximize the experience for your taste buds. And today I am happy to have this boozy cookbook take a pit stop on my blog complete with an “Ultimate Beer Lover’s Oktoberfest Celebration Giveaway” which includes:

• 1 signed copy of The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour by John Schlimm
• 2 Humane Society of the US T-shirts (1 male M, 1 female M)
• Lucky Brand Jeans Gift card for 1 free pair of jeans
• 6 Straub Brewery Pilsner Glasses
• Coleman soft cooler with hard liner (red)
• Weber Barbecue Apron, black
• 1 OXO Steel Bottle Opener
• Set of 2 wooden snack bowls
• Set of 4 wooden coasters

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget located at the end of this post.

Before you run off to enter to win that beer-ific prize pack check out these nuts! In addition to being a quick recipe to throw together, I already had all the ingredients on hand. Talk about some last call happy hour snacking. If you are feeling daring there are recipes for making your own margarine and worcestershire sauce (recipes included at the bottom) but I just stuck with the store-bought stuff. I also used the oven method for preparing this recipe, giving it a nuttier flavor, but it can also easily be made in your microwave.

Need more snacks? I’ve also included the recipe for some Hippie Cayenne Sourdough Pretzels. Grab a beer and enjoy!

One year ago: Baked Apple Cider Oatmeal

Two years ago: Apple Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Pancakes

SPICY FRIDAY NIGHT NUTS

Pair with: Kölsch, Oktoberfest, Bock

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted margarine (use recipe below or store-bought margarine)

4 cups pecans, almonds, unsalted peanuts, and/or walnuts

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (use recipe below or store-bought Worcestershire sauce)

2 tsp Tabasco sauce, or more to taste

1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground mace

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste

Directions:

1. Place the margarine in a 2-quart microwave-safe or oven-safe pan. Melt either in the microwave or over medium heat on the stove, and then stir in the nuts of your choice. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well.
2. Microwave the mixture on high for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Or for a toastier flavor, spread the mixture on a baking sheet, and run the sheet under a hot broiler for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the nuts in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to a week.

HIPPIE CAYENNE SOURDOUGH PRETZELS

Pair with: Oktoberfest, Pale Lager, Pilsner

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine (use recipe below or store-bought margarine)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (use recipe below or store-bought Worcestershire sauce)

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp dry mustard, or to taste

2 tsp mace

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime

1 (1 oz.) packet dry vegetable soup mix

2 dashes Frank’s RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Tabasco sauce, or more to taste

1 tsp molasses

8 droplets liquid smoke, or to taste

20 oz. sourdough pretzels

Directions:

1. Preheat 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the margarine in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, mace, lime juice, vegetable soup mix, hot sauce, molasses, and liquid smoke. Heat until just bubbly.
2. Using tongs, dip the pretzels in the mixture, one at a time, coating them completely, and place them on the baking sheet. Let the pretzels rest for 15 minutes, then bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, and let the pretzels cool there thoroughly, for 90 minutes or so. Serve the pretzels or store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to a week.

DIY MARGARINE

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

16 oz. coconut oil

1-1/2 cups canola or sunflower oil

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

2 Tbsp smooth Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp ground turmeric

2 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of a sturdy, medium-size saucepan. Prepare an ice water bath in a vessel large enough to hold the saucepan.
2. Add the coconut oil, canola oil, coconut milk, mustard, turmeric, and salt to the saucepan, stirring well. Bring the mixture to 125°F over medium heat, then transfer the pan to the ice water bath, and continue to stir until the mixture firms up. Transfer the mixture to a container with a screw-on lid. Cover and refrigerate the mixture. The margarine will keep for about 2 weeks.

DIY WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 cups cider vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook and reduce the mixture by half, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, and let cool completely before using. The sauce will keep in a tightly covered container, refrigerated, for 2 to 3 months.

Source: Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour by John Schlimm

The giveaway will run from October 1 to November 7. US and Canada only.

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Author John Schlimm is a member of one of the oldest brewing families in the United States, Straub Brewery. Schlimm is the author of several books, including The Straub Beer Cookbook, The Cheesy Vegan, and The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Cookbook (awarded “Best Beer Book in the U.S.” and “Best Beer Book in the World” by Gourmand International).

Social Media

Web site: www.JohnSchlimm.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/JohnSchlimm

Twitter: @JohnSchlimm

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YouTube: www.YouTube.com/JohnSchlimm

Buy Links

Amazon | B&N | BAM | IndieBound | !ndigo

Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this cookbook. Giveaway provided by Sourcebooks. I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.