Pistachio & Cardamom Muddy Buddies

MAKES 7 CUPS (625 G)

Gujaratis love a good handheld snack. Muddy buddies, or puppy chow, is the kind of snack you can grab a fistful of and throw into your mouth while on the move! Traditionally muddy buddies use peanut butter, but I substitute it with pistachio butter and add a healthy dose of cardamom to really make it sing. They are insanely addictive with their salty, sweet combo, making them the perfect party snack!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter

  Desi Bakes Hetal Vasavada

• 3/4 cup (203 g) pistachio butter

• 2/3 cup (100 g) chopped milk chocolate

• 1/3 cup (50 g) chopped dark chocolate

• 11/2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 7 cups (222 g) Rice Chex cereal

• 2 cups (226 g) powdered sugar

PREPARATION:

In a saucepan, combine the butter, pistachio butter, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, cardamom, and salt. Stir over medium-low heat until everything is melted into a smooth mixture. Remove from the heat.

Add the cereal to a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal and gently mix until all the cereal is coated. Pour 1 cup (113 g) of the powdered sugar into a large ziplock bag and add half the cereal mixture. Close the bag and gently shake the bag, moving it around so that the powdered sugar coats all of the cereal. Pour the muddy buddies onto a baking sheet. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and cereal to the bag and repeat. Spread the muddy buddies into an even layer and cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. The muddy buddies can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. 

NOTES

• After Diwali, if you need to use up some leftover magaz or besan ki burfi (Indian fudge-like desserts made of toasted chickpea flour, ghee, sugar, and cardamom), melt 1/2 cup (200 g) of your burfi down over low heat and substitute the pistachio butter with the melted burfi!

• If you want to make the muddy buddies extra celebratory, mix in sprinkles when you shake it up with powdered sugar. I like to use Sixlets or large chocolate sprinkles.

Excerpted with permission from Desi Bakes by Hetal Vasavada, published by ‎Hardie Grant Publishing, October 15, 2024, RRP $35.00 Hardcover.

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