Category: Almond

Custom Granola

12/23/2020

I perfected this recipe so it'd have all my fave granola characteristics: the granola clusters we all crave, equal parts sweet and savory, crunchy but not tooth-cracking hard...and customizable! II've found that making this granola base, and then customizing with mix-ins later (when you serve) is the perfect solution because:

You can tailor it to each person’s individual taste
It retains its crunchy texture longer—the moisture in dried fruits can make jarred granola soggy over time, so the solution is to add when serving.

Things To Note:

You can make this vegan by omitting the egg whites, but be aware that the egg whites are the main secret to cluster formation, so you'll have smaller pieces.
The custom mix-ins are up to you. feel free to adjust quantities to taste, adding potent things like spices a little at a time so you don’t overdo.
to add spices later, use a strainer or sifter to get a fine, evenly distributed dusting. add little by little to taste.
You can certainly add the dry mix-ins to the entire batch (everything but the fruit) if the people in your crowd all have the same taste.
I prefer to roast the nuts separately (or even better, buy roasted nuts!) and mix in post-bake, instead of adding to the mixture before baking. that way, there's no danger of burning them.
Baking at a low temp (low and slow!) helps to ensure the granola will be crunchy in the middle, without burning the edges
The middle of the 'pancake' may take longer to bake. edges and thinner/smaller pieces will brown more quickly, so check oven often towards the end of baking and remove pieces as they brown to avoid burning.
this makes great gifts! you can package in a small jar or gift bag, with mix-ins tailored to each individual, and tie with ribbon and gift tag!
this’d be a delicious addition to your Christmas Day breakfast. Incredible with Greek yogurt, and of course, Jarfaits!

INGREDIENTS

5 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
½ cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
½ cup nut butter or tahini
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites (if using packaged egg whites, 60 ml)

POSSIBLE MIX-INS (your choice!)

roasted chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc.)
toasted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc.)
dried fruit (cranberries, candied ginger, apricots, etc.) -- be sure to chop larger fruits.
dried unsweetened coconut flakes
chocolate chips
dusting of spices -- (cardamom, ginger, etc.) -- see my Spicy Stamped Cookies for my fave DIY spice blend
sprinkling of ground seeds (chia, flax)
flaked sea salt

METHOD

Line two half sheet pans with a silicone mat or parchment
Position 2 racks near center of oven and preheat to 300°
Combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. set aside.
In a medium sized bowl or 2 cup capacity liquid mixing cup, whisk together oil, honey maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla and egg whites until well brlended.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well until oats are completely coated.
Spread mixture onto 2 prepared pans. should be a solid "pancake" about 1/4" thick.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until pancake bottom is golden brown (take a peek with a spatula).
Remove from oven and using a large spatula, flip over in sections so browned side is facing up
Return to oven, rotating pans from top to bottom and front to back.
Bake for 15-20 minutes longer, until golden, checking every 5-7 minutes for doneness, removing pieces as they brown.
Once golden brown of both sides, remove from oven and let cool on pan. even if some pieces are still soft, they will continue to firm up from the heat in the pan.
Let cool completely, several hours before storing in an airtight jar.
Add mix-ins as desired and enjoy!

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Easter Bunny Linzer Cookies

4/8/2019

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The Easter linzer bunnies pictured here were made with Rodelle Pure Almond Extract. I've used their almond extract for years and absolutely love it.

To make these delicious treats, i used my Linzer Cookie Recipe.

For a twist on the traditional linzer decor, I topped some of them with a mixture of Rodelle’s Organic Dutch Process Baking Cocoa & Organic Hot Cocoa. I hadn't tried Rodelle's cocoa powders before. So, when they kindly offered to send me some to experiment with, i was super excited since i knew they are among Rodelle's bestsellers. and wow! they are so rich and flavorful!

To make the cocoa topping, mix 2 parts hot cocoa + 1 part baking cocoa, and then follow the powder sugar application instructions in the assembly section.

The cocoa bunnies are filled with melted white chocolate tinted in various shades. To make the filling, simply melt white chocolate chips in a microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until soft enough to mix. add food color a drop at a time till you achieve desired shade.
If you don’t have white chocolate on hand, tinted royal icing in a thicker consistency would do just fine.

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Custom Granola

Easter Bunny Linzer Cookies

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