Its here, it’s finally here. I’m going to bring out the fighting words…Labor Day weekend is upon us and the school year is rearing it’s head again. I’m fighting the twitch to buy chunky sweaters and cook large pots of soup. But it’s still summer. At least a wee bit longer.
More fighting words…..I hate granola. Yes, I’m a granola hater. It’s overly salty, overly sweet and it makes me uncomfortably thirsty. But for someone who hates granola…I seem to be the best granola maker out there.
Alas…my kids love granola, my husband loves granola and therefore…I too…must love….. granola. So I went on a soul searching granola journey of what makes the best…granola. For me, a granola should be relatively healthy, have bits of something chewy, something crunchy, and something a little sweet. It should not be salty.
So….I created a granola blend that converted me over to…the granola-side. This recipe is adapted from Cookie and Kate. This granola that has absolutely everything I want and then some. Toasty oats lightly sweetened with maple syrup and studded with both chocolate bits and dust (oh…its all about the chocolate dust), broken almonds and dried, dark cherries. This granola is deep, deep love. Deep, “oh, yes, I need a moment” love that you’ll eat for breakfast, over yogurt, or tucked in a little baggie in your purse. This is granola romance….this is “I love you” granola.
Yes, you’re welcome.
The secret is not touching it for 45 minutes to 1 hours until its rock solid and then breaking it up into the clump sizes you want. I like to have a 60/40 ratio of large clumps to crumbles. As tedious as it sounds to roughly chop the almonds, chocolate and cherries….it’s worth it! The rough chop ensures you get a little bit of everything in each mouthful. This recipe makes between 3-4 cups. You can easily double this recipe and I highly suggest that you do.
“I Love You” Granola
Ingredients
- 2 C Oats
- ¾ C Almonds roughly chopped
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ C Extra Virgin Olive OIl
- 3-4 tbsp Maple Syrup
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 tbsp Shredded Coconut Flakes
- ¼ C Dark Chocolate roughly chopped chips or bar
- 3-4 tbsp Dried Cherries or Cranberries roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add the 2 C Oats, ¾ C Almonds, ⅛ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon. Stir well to combine.,
- Add the ¼ C Extra Virgin Olive OIl, 3-4 tbsp Maple Syrup, and ½ tsp Vanilla Extract. Stir very well to combine and the the oats and almonds are coated.
- Spread the granola in an even layer on a 9×13 rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10 minutes
- Add the 3 tbsp Shredded Coconut Flakes to the granola and stir to combine.
- Make sure to spread the granola back into an even layer.
- Bake for another 12-14 minutes, until the granola is lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and DO NOT touch the granola. Let the granola cool completely until hardened.
- Using your hands, carefully break the granola up into the desires clumps and bits you love.
- Loosely chop the 3-4 tbsp Dried Cherries or Cranberries and ¼ C Dark Chocolate and pour them over the granola and carefully toss them together.
- Store the granola in an airtight glass jar and enjoy!
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