Harvest Granola

I sometimes consider if there is a GAA (granola addicted annonymous) group that I should be looking into.  It's a serious problem ... I think I consumed my weight in dried cranberries and rolled oats over Christmas, because I had made this as a gift for a few people, and ended up eating 75% of the jar I presented to my mom.

Shamefulness aside, I would like to share a yummy, super easy solve for the high priced granolas you might find at Whole Foods or in the cereal aisle.  In true fashion - measuring is just a guideline.  Put in as much or as little as you like.  Substitute.  Mix it up!

Unlike the boxed and bulk versions, fresh is best!  Nothing beats crispy delicious granola fresh from the oven.

Harvest Granola

3 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

(bought in bulk for 89 cents/lb at Whole Foods - can't beat it)

handful of Flax Seeds

1/2 cup Wheat Bran

handful or 2 of Wheat Germ

1 cup Almonds

1 cup Walnuts

3/4 cup Shredded Coconut or Coconut Flakes

(I use unsweetened from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)

1/3 cup Agave Nectar

2 Tbsp Canola Oil

Raisins

Dried Cherries

Dried Cranberries

Dried Blueberries

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine oats, wheat bran, wheat germ, flax seeds, almonds, walnuts and coconut in large bowl.  Stir in Agave Nectar and oil.  Mix until evenly coated and crumbly.  Spread out on parchment paper in a large sheet pan with a bit of a side to it to prevent overflow and spillage when stirring.  Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.  Remove from the oven and toss in raisins, cranberries and blueberries.  I use about 2 cups all together - eyeball it and add as much or little as you like.  You can pull out ingredients you don't like, or add in ones you do (chocolate chips, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, etc).

Raspberry Crumb Muffins

At a work holiday party a few weeks back, a co-worker had mentioned her favorite baked goods were muffins, specifically raspberry.  I made a mental note for a morning surprise.  Little did she know I always follow through on a promise.  Even if it's years later.  I'll be sure to keep it.

I was shocked by her reaction and thoughtful email she sent over, the morning she found her 6 ginormous (and I mean GINORMOUS) muffins sitting at her desk with a holiday card.

"Hey,

First of all, THANK YOU so so so much for making me the super yummy raspberry muffins. It really means a lot to me that you took the time to bake them, I truly appreciate it.

Second of all, I have been searching for a yummy muffin for some time now and I have not had any success…until yesterday! Honestly they were the most delicious muffins I have ever had. (and I consider myself a Muffin connoisseur) haha.

You need to open up a bake shop!

Thanks again,

PS. Just in case I decide to become domestic may I have that recipe?"

As requested, here is the original recipe from Williams Sonoma, with my improvisations.

Raspberry Crumb Top Muffins

Ingredients

For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
Grated zest of ½ lemon
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional: I omitted)

For the Muffins:
2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar I might have subbed Agave syrup…I don’t remember! Sometimes I do…sometimes I don’t.
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon Give or take. I don’t measure cinnamon because I use it liberally.
Grated zest of ½ lemon
¼ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
5 Tbsp, unsalted butter, melted I used the remainder of the stick after I had made the topping
1 cup buttermilk I used 1 cup regular milk added 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, and let stand for 5 minutes to create the same effect.
2 cups fresh blackberries or 2 ½ cups frozen unsweetened, unthawed   I subbed frozen Raspberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease 12 muffin cups with butter or nonstick spray. I used the big 6 cup muffin pan for optimum muffin-indulgence!
To make the topping:
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and lemon zest. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the pecans and stir to combine. Set aside.
To make muffin batter:
In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg, melted butter and buttermilk. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Sprinkle with the blackberries and gently fold in with a large rubber spatula just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Take care not to break up the fruit. Do not over mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each to a bit above the rim of the cup. Top each muffin with the topping, dividing it evenly (the sugar will melt and produce a glaze effect).
Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Mine took about 45 minutes or so because they were larger. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature, with butter. Makes 12 muffins.

Good Luck!