This gift idea never goes stale

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - The fondness we have for homemade food gifts ranks right up there with treasured memories of Santa and his reindeer.

A popular homemade recipe that has made the rounds for more than 50 years is Chex Mix. The recipe first appeared on the box of Wheat Chex in 1953, and that standard recipe gets a new twist with every generation.

More than 70 versions of the mix appear on Chex.com, but there probably are as many recipes as there are squares of Chex.

Ruth Ann Storrow of Lexington, Ky., has been making the original Chex Mix for her friends and family at Christmastime for about 20 years. Bethany Prekopa, 11, of Mount Sterling, Ky., is just discovering the magic of Chex.

Storrow's recipe is tattered and yellowed with age, while Bethany simply prints a recipe from her computer.

When Storrow began giving Chex Mix as a gift, she bought attractive holiday tins and told the recipients that if they returned the tin, they would get Chex Mix again the next year. "They all bring their tins back to me," she said.

Some of the tins are meaningful, she said. For example, a granddaughter who's a ballet dancer always gets the nutcracker tin.

Bethany, who likes spending time in the kitchen, often makes special recipes for her family and friends. She's having a caroling party on Friday.

"I was planning to cook something and I was flipping through a Rachael Ray magazine and found a Chex Mix ad. My plan is that my friends and I go caroling at the nursing home like last year, then afterward we'll make hot cocoa and Chex Mix," she said.

This is the recipe on the Chex Mix Web site, and it claims to be the "original" recipe. However, we don't remember bagel chips being available 50 years ago.

THE ORIGINAL CHEX PARTY MIX RECIPE

3 cups Corn Chex cereal

3 cups Rice Chex cereal

3 cups Wheat Chex cereal

1 cup mixed nuts

1 cup bite-size pretzels

1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1½ teaspoons seasoned salt

Âľ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

Heat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal ­mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

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Ruth Ann Storrow's tattered recipe calls for baking the mix for two hours at 200 degrees. "I like it better than the microwavable version," she said.

CHEX MIX

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1½ teaspoons celery salt

1½ teaspoons onion salt

ÂĽ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 cups oil

2 pounds salted mixed nuts

12 ounces Wheat Chex

10 ounces Cheerios

6½ ounces Rice Chex

1 package pretzel sticks

Place garlic salt and powder, celery salt and onion salt in a bowl. Mix in Worcestershire sauce and oil. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine nuts, cereals and pretzels. Divide cereal mixture among 3 baking pans. Pour seasoning mix over each pan and mix well. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake 1½ hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour onto paper towels to cool.

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Storrow makes this sweet version of Chex mix.

CHRISTMAS CHEX MIX

3 cups Cheerios

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups Rice Chex

2 cups pretzels

2 cups peanuts

2 cups M&Ms

1½ pounds white bark

Combine cereals, pretzels, peanuts and M&Ms in a large bowl. Pour cereal mixture onto wax paper on ­countertop. Melt bark in microwave according to package directions. Pour over Chex mixture. It will be very gooey. Wash hands, then grease them with butter; combine mixture with fingers. Let cool overnight. After mixture hardens, break into pieces and place in containers.

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Bethany Prekopa chose this version of Chex mix to serve at a party.

CHOCOLATE CHEX CARAMEL CRUNCH

8 cups chocolate Chex cereal

Âľ cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

ÂĽ teaspoon baking soda

ÂĽ cup white vanilla baking chips

Measure cereal into a large microwavable bowl; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on high 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on high 3 minutes, stirring after every minute. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla ­baking chips uncovered on high about 1½ minutes or until chips can be stirred smooth (bowl will be hot). Drizzle over snack. Refrigerate until set. Store in tightly covered container.

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The basic Chex mix recipe can be changed to suit your tastes. The following recipe is flavored with ranch dressing mix, but other seasonings can be used. Also, cheese puffs soy nuts or corn chips can be used.

CHEESY RANCH CHEX MIX

9 cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex or Wheat Chex cereal (or combination)

2 cups bite-size pretzel twists

2 cups bite-size cheese crackers

1 cup peanuts or mixed nuts, optional

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 package (1 ounce) ranch dressing and seasoning mix

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large microwavable bowl, mix cereal, pretzels, crackers and nuts, if desired. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high about 30 seconds or until melted. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly ­coated. Stir in dressing mix and cheese until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on high 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

From Chex.com

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© 2008, Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.).