Annie's Granola with Coconut from Penzeys

Today is another Penzeys recipe and it was submitted by a woman named Ann W.  I've never made my own granola before and honestly never really knew what was in it.  I knew some things were in it, but not how it's made or how it gets stuck together.  This recipe was a little time consuming but the end result was delicious.  Ann W. suggests sprinkling it on some vanilla yogurt with some fresh in-season fruit or dried fruit.  As you can see, I topped my Greek yogurt with it.

Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 cup safflower or olive oil (I used olive oil)
• 1/2 cup pure honey
• 2 teaspoons of Penzeys Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats (don't worry if you only have one, you can use it in place of the other)
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes (I used shredded coconut, and if you use sweetened coconut cut the honey by 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup cashew halves (I think I used walnuts in place of the cashews since I didn't have any cashews lying around)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil and honey and mix well.

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and mix thoroughly.  Add the oats, coconut, and nuts and mix on the lowest setting of your mixer or by hand until combined.

Spread the mixture onto a jellyroll pan or an 11"x17" baking pan with sides (or use 2 smaller pans).

Bake for 10 minutes then stir, especially getting the mixture in the corners.  Continue to bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes so as not to burn.  Remove from oven after 40-45 minutes so the mixture is browned but not burned.  Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.  Keep in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies (done the Babycakes way)

I've been on kind of a baking kick lately, and one afternoon I was craving cookies, so I baked some oatmeal raisin cookies.  This recipe comes from Babycakes Covers the Classics, so since it's Babycakes, it's going to be gluten free and vegan.  I didn't have gluten free oats, so I just used regular oats.  They turned out great, but once I put them into the cookie jar, they fell apart, so they are a little cakey. 

I also found out some news, a lot of my family might have a gluten intolerance.  My cousin found out her son has Celiac's and my mom has Crohn's, which is a close relative to Celiac's.  A good portion of my mom's side of the family has had stomach problems, and just passing it off as, "well, it runs in the family..."  So now that I have found out this not-so-surprising news, I'm going to try and go gluten free for a month to see how I feel.  I usually thought it was the milk in the cheese from pasta, so I would always avoid anything with too much cheese in it at Italian restaurants or big gatherings.  We shall see the results of this experiment.  Sorry for rambling, now onto the recipe.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour
• 1 cup vegan sugar
• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats
• 1/4 cup ground flax meal
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup melted refined coconut oil or canola oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, flax meal, cinnamon, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.

Add the coconut (or canola) oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms.

Add the raisins and stir until evenly distributed.  Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto he prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 8 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and bake for 7 minutes more, or until golden brown.

Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before serving.  Enjoy! 

Fruit Crisp

This recipe also comes from my Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook.  I was looking for something warm to eat for breakfast on Saturday and since I'm watching my weight, I didn't want to eat too much, so pancakes and waffles were out.  This recipe was small, healthy, and delicious.  I think it would make a great snack and dessert too, especially with vanilla ice cream on top...mmmm! 

Something to remember before I give you the recipe, raspberries become very watery in the oven.  I completely forgot this happens, but I wanted more than one berry in it.  Maybe next time I'll add blackberries.  Do those become watery in the oven?

Anyway, here you go:

• 12 oz. frozen blueberries 
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar (optional, I didn't need it)
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat or oat flour (I used whole wheat)
• 5 tablespoons agave nectar (I used a light colored one)
• cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place blueberries in a 10-inch baking dish, sprinkle with sugar if desired, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk oats, and flour together, then add agave nectar 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until the mixture crumbles.  Place crumbs over blueberries and sprinkle generously with cinnamon.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the top is crisp and the fruit soft. 

Enjoy!