Best New York Deli Snack Mix Recipes

SWEET-AND-SALTY PARTY MIX

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly grease two rimmed baking sheets with vegetable oil. In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons vegetable oil with the butter, corn syrup, sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the snack mix, except the hemp seeds. Pour the syrup over the mix and toss with a wooden spoon to evenly coat all the pieces.
• Divide the mix across the two prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the hemp seeds evenly over the mixture on both baking sheets.
• Bake until the mix is dry, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, tossing well every 15 minutes. The mixture will be dry but still sticky, and will set as it cools.
• Let the mix cool completely before breaking it into pieces to serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

SPICY PARTY MIX

Steps:

• Arrange racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat to 250 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Combine cereal, nuts, pretzels and add-ins in a very large bowl. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave in 20-second increments, about 1 minute. (You can also do this in a small saucepan over low heat on the stovetop.) Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed.
• Add half of the melted butter mixture to the cereal mixture. Gently and thoroughly fold to combine. Add the rest of the melted butter mixture and stir until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Divide the mixture evenly across the prepared pans. Bake, stirring and switching racks every 15 minutes, until crisp and slightly darkened in color, about 1 hour. Cool completely on the pans on wire racks before serving (if you can wait that long). Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

NEW YORK DELI DOGS

Steps:

• For the coleslaw: Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and celery seed in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in the coleslaw mix and season with salt and pepper. Let the coleslaw sit in the fridge until ready to serve.
• For the Russian dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and sour cream in a small bowl. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
• For the hot dogs: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Spread the mustard over each hot dog and wrap each dog diagonally in a slice of pastrami. Grill the hot dogs for 4 minutes on each side. Place each dog in a warm bun and top with the coleslaw and dressing.

BLACK AND WHITES (DELI! DELI! DELI!)

Steps:

• The Cookies: Set 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 15 seconds until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts and continue beating until fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on its slowest setting, gradually beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture. Beat in the milk and then the remaining flour mixture. On nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheets, drop 1/2 cup mounds of dough at 4-inch intervals. Bake the cookies for about 11 minutes, turning once for even baking, until the cookies are lightly tanned. Set the cookie sheets on a rack to cool. The Frosting: Fit a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a candy thermometer. Over high heat, cook the water, corn syrup, sugar and cream of tartar until it registers 240 degrees (soft ball). Off heat, vigorously whisk in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and hot water until creamy looking. Quickly spread half of the icing on 1/2 of each cookie. Whisk the cocoa and hot coffee into the remaining icing. Spread it on the other halves of the cookies. Let set for 15 minutes.

NEW YORK STYLE DELI PICKLES

Steps:

• Layer the cucumbers and dill heads with garlic.
• Pour the remaining ingredients over all and cover with cold, fresh water, filtered if you can.
• Cover with cheesecloth.
• Weigh down the pickles with a plate and jar of water. Cover with a clean tea towel.
• Check after 72 hours, remove any scum that may have formed and wash cheesecloth, plate and jar of water and replace them.
• Check after another 72 hours and see if they are done enough for you. If so, pack into sterile jars and cover with the brine.
• Store in the refrigerator to slow the fermentation process.
• I make these in a big dough bucket and pack into gallon jars and some plastic containers to give as gifts.