Cranberry almond granola

 

In my head I am one of those people who gets up early and makes a great breakfast, even before work.  Sadly the reality is I am not.  I grab a granola bar or a bagel and eat it at work.  In the 45 minutes or so before anyone gets there, that quiet calm before the storm.  As I was eating a granola bar, I thought how easy this is to make, have it as a bar or just as a handy snack.  So I made cranberry almond, because that is what I had in the house. Quick, easy, not too bad for you, and really great on the go.  So until I am a cool person who gets up early and makes an awesome breakfast, a baggie of this will do

 

 

Cranberry almond granola

1 stick unsalted butter

2 T light corn syrup

½ cup brown sugar

2 ¾ cups rolled oats

¾ cup sliced almonds (can use hazelnuts or any nut that can be easily sliced)

1 cup dried cranberries

6 T all purpose flour

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a greased 9×9 pan with parchment or foil (bottom only)

Heat butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar on stove over low heat until combined

Mix oats, almonds, cranberries and flour into a bowl, adding butter mixture, stirring until combined

Place in greased pan, smooth top and bake for 25 minutes or until firm/golden brown

 

Let cool to room temp and cut into squares or crumble for over yogurt, or as a handheld snack 

my favorite cookie of all time

What a week. Not going to go into a long diatribe of my feelings and opinions, just glad things are calming down in the good old US of A. What I am here to talk about is cookies. Love them. Everyone should give one to a friend and say “i love you as much as this cookie, or i like you a little and had an extra one, don’t get too excited” My favorite are oatmeal raisin cookies. I wouldn’t eat a raisin on it’s own if you paid me (not true, I love money) but you add some oats and some cinnamon and I am there. The trick that I learned from the internet (where everything is true, but this really is) is to chill your dough for this recipe. Give it an hour or two to rest. Things you could do while waiting: read, a puzzle, tweet, facebook, write your memoirs, etc. 

Here is the recipe-make these and you won’t regret it. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

stick of unsalted butter, room temp 

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg room temp 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice 

1/4 tsp kosher salt (use table if that is all you have, sea salt if feeling funky)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

4 mini boxes of raisins or 1 cup 

1 1/2 cups oats (old fashioned are best)

*I am a purist, but you can add a 1/2 cup chopped walnuts if you want. Make sure to toast them ahead of time, this brings out the flavor. 350 degrees for about 10-15 mins or they smell toasted

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and egg for about 5-8 mins. Longer you cream, fluffier the cookie. Sometimes I go as long as 10 mins. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,  and all spice.

Add to butter mixture, mix for 30-40 seconds until combined. 

On low speed, add your raisins, and oats (nuts also if you used them)

Mix only until incorporated, don’t overmix or you will have tough cookies. 

Chill dough for at least an hour, two if you have it. You can chill in the mixing bowl, or go ahead and scoop them onto the sheet pans lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray and chill that way. I can’t stress the importance of a slipat or parchment paper. Your baked goods will never stick again

After chilled, scoop cookies with a cookie scoop or a spoon a few inches apart and preheat oven to 350. Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes or until brown on the edge and still soft in the middle. Let rest on cooking sheet for 10 minutes, and transfer to a cooling rack. 

Enjoy!