A trio of delicious snacks perfect for the festive period! A smooth and velvety chestnut dip, crunchy, salty pesto pita chips and smoky, sweet & spicy, maple chipotle roasted nuts.
The smoky, salty, spicy and sweet mixed nuts are an incredible festive snack - packed with punchy, satisfying flavours that would perfectly compliment a refreshing G&T on a winter's night.
When it comes to chips and dip, the combination of the sweet chestnut flavour, with a warm hum of garlic and tart jeweled cranberries combined with the salty, herby crunch of the pita chips is such a lip-smackingly good combo.
These snacks are maximising on flavour with minimum effort - a win-win. I'm a big believer when it comes to prepping food for occasions to embrace a mix of shop-bought and homemade, this allows you to create delicious food, still considered homemade, in just a fraction of the time. But, if you do happen to have any homemade breads or pesto on hand or you fancy roasting your own chestnuts, then you could of course use those!
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Festive Snack Trio | Serves: 4-6 | Time: 30 mins
You'll need
- Chopping board
- 2x baking trays
- Greaseproof paper
- Blender/food processor
- Measuring spoons
- 2x mixing bowls
- Serving dishes
Ingredients
Pesto Pita Chips
- 3 pita breads
- 1 heaped tbsp vegan pesto
- Pinch flaky salt
Maple Chipotle Mixed Nuts
- 150g mixed nuts
- 1 tbsp chipotle chili paste
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Pinch flaky salt
Chestnut Dip
- 180g vac-packed chestnuts
- 1 tbsp garlic oil
- Pinch dried rosemary
- Juice 1/2 lemon
- 6 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- Olive oil, for garnish
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- To make the pita chips, cut the pitta breads into 2-3cm pieces and add to the mixing bowl with a heaped tbsp of pesto, toss together well so each piece is evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on the lined baking tray, sprinkle with a little flaky salt and bake for 10 minutes, then flip each piece over and cook for a further 7-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Allow to cool and the pita chips will become more crunchy as they cool.
- Meanwhile, for the nuts, mix together the chipotle chilli paste, maple syrup, sesame seeds and a pinch of flaky salt in a bowl, then add the nuts and mix together until evenly coated. Spread out evenly on the 2nd baking tray and bake for 5-7 minutes until caramelised but not burnt.
- To make the chestnut dip, add the chestnuts, garlic oil, rosemary, lemon juice, water and salt to the blender and blitz until smooth.
- Serve up the trio of snacks and drizzle a little olive oil over the dip, then sprinkle over the dried cranberries and enjoy!
