Granola Cookies

I have granola in the oven right now, my favorite granola.  

There is a cold snap here in the desert, it is only 75 degrees and will creep to 90 by the evening. The air condition is off, the windows are perched open and I am baking, testing recipes and running the oven while the house is still cool. My thoughts push me outside, I should be out enjoying the cooler temperatures but the truth is I have been as far away from my kitchen as possible for much too long.  

Today, I want to be in the kitchen, baking through the morning. When I woke up today, I was finally ready to warm the oven, open a fresh bag of flour to make poppy seed rolls and make a large batch of granola to take on our trip next week. 

It feels natural, on a good day, to be in the kitchen. It is usually quiet, just me, the animals and my thoughts. Moving in the kitchen when I am baking seems second nature, I know exactly what I need, what goes next, what I want to happen and I learn from my mistakes.  Ask me to make dinner and the exact opposite thing happens. I am a baker. Today I was reminded that as much as I enjoy spending time outdoors, I need time indoors, to myself, using my hands and producing. 

Granola Cookies
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Makes about 40 cookies

3 cups granola (no fruit)
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat the oven to 375° F and prepare 2 baking sheets with liners.

Combine the granola, raisins, peanuts, almonds, coconut, and wheat germ in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

In a stand mixer cream the butter for 2 minutes at a medium speed. Add the brown sugar, continue to cream for 3 minutes. Add the salt and the egg until mixed. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour and once it is just mixed, add the granola mixture. Stop the mixer once all the granola, nuts, and fruit are just combined. Do not over beat this batter. Use a spatula to incorporate any remaining dry ingredients.

Take a heaping tablespoon of the dough and gently pack. Place each cookie about 1 1/2 inch from each other though these won't spread a lot. Flatten them down a tiny bit using your fingertips.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. About halfway through, rotate the pans 180° and switch the pans on the racks. The cookies are done when they are a golden brown but not hard. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Granola

Another week  is before us and it is already shaping up to be a good  and full week. After spending the weekend with friends, eating and drinking, my Monday seems to be a bit foggy and I am in desprate need of a second cup of coffee and some super food.

I adapted a granola recipe from Lottie + Doof and created a hearty, flavorful breakfast treat that my friend called "peacan pie" while others have said that I should sell it. I think I have hit the granola jackpot and I am so excited to share. I suggest, as with most of the recipes that I like to share, use this as a base and expand off of it. This recipe is a good cornerstone, but please use your imagination and create the perfect mix for yourself.

We are so fortinuate to have a freezer full of fresh pecans thanks to the lovely folks in Texas. Growing up in Washington, pecans were never on the menu, now having family in Texas means that I will never run out of pecans to pull from the freezer. I think that it is very important to include a healthy amount of protien for breakfast and the fats found in peacans are one of the ultimate powerfoods. So I don't minds being a bit heavy handed when adding nuts and if you were like me for many years, a combination of almonds and pecans would be just as tasty and healthy in this recipe.

J's good friend lives in Mass. and now I feel even more blessed to know that I will never run out of fresh maple syrup. Well, I should say that If I make this granola for him in exchange for syrup, I will forever be rich with gallons maple goodness. I have tried over the years to create a granola that tasted good, had all the right ingredients, was fresh and didn't require me to pay upwards of $9.99 a pound for it at the co-op. There has been many failed attempts, but finally I have found success and it all revolves around maple syrup. Maple syrup is stable enough to get to a high temprature without burning. I was always facinated by the idea of using honey but it always seems to burn. Maple syrup or agave syrup are the perfect sweeteners for homemade granola.

Granola (adapted from Lottie + Doof)

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups spelt

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled

1 cup coconut chips

2 1/12 cups raw pecans, very coarsely chopped

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Place oats, spelt, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45-55 minutes. It should be nice and golden brown.

Remove granola from oven and season with additional salt, if desired. Remove granola from pan before if cools or simply line pan with parchment paper. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.