Cherry Almond Coconut Granola

I love good, quality granola, and when I have time to make it at home, it’s such a treat! My favorite combination is simply almonds, coconut, and dried cherries, and this recipe came together really well. It’s very easy to assemble, and will make your house smell like oatmeal cookies. The added crunch tastes fantastic over some plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey. If you don’t prefer cherries, cranberries or raisins would also work great. The recipe makes a generous amount, so be sure to share some with friends who will enjoy it too!Cherry Almond Coconut Granola

Yield: About 6 cups

1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3 cups old fashioned or rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add in the oats, almonds, coconut flakes, and dried cherries until all is mixed and evenly coated.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, spread the granola out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until evenly toasted and fragrant. Cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. Will keep for over a week stored in a cool, dry spot.

Recipe adapted from Pastry Affair. 

Blueberry Bran Muffins

When I attended grad school in Virginia, our morning classes took a break around 9:00 a.m., and a group of us would walk over to the brick commissary to grab coffee and an enormous blueberry muffin. I didn’t bat an eye at eating such an indulgence almost weekly, and saw it more as the norm. Oh, to be 23 again. Nearly ten years later I not only consider them a treat, but when eaten, they tend to feel like a diversion from my goals. On the flip side, I can’t say I have salacious bran muffin cravings, but when I saw the Blueberry Bran Muffins in Ina Garten’s new “Make it Ahead”, I knew I had to give them a try. They’re made with significantly less sugar and flour, replaced instead with honey and plenty of wheat bran. They turned out moist and flavorful, thanks to greek yogurt, and are bursting with juicy blueberries. I found that eating just one with a side of fruit and yogurt is a grown-up, satisfying treat indeed.

Blueberry Bran Muffins
Adapted from Make it Ahead, by Ina Garten
Prep time: 20 mins / Bake time: 22 mins
Yield: 18 muffins

½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 ounces Greek-style yogurt (about 1 cup)
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups wheat bran
1½ cups fresh blueberries (8 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In large bowl, lightly whisk the two eggs, then add the yogurt, sugar, vegetable oil, honey, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, just until incorporated. Add in the wheat bran and stir until incorporated. Add the blueberries and gently combine until evenly distributed.

Place one scoop of batter into the muffin cups using a large ice cream scoop. Bake for 22 to 30 minutes, until the tops are a golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for several minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. Store refrigerated once cooled, will keep for several days.

Berry pie pops

Do you ever have a moment where you just need to be in the kitchen to make something with your hands and clear your head? Making these berry pie pops completely satisfied that urge for me. They are a bit of a project, but maybe that was because they were my first attempt at making pie dough. I was pretty meticulous, but it paid off because the recipe was executed without a hitch. I was completely thrilled with the perfectly flaky crust, filled with fresh berry preserves. Plus I initially doubled the dough, leaving so much left over that I ended up using it for a traditional pie, which also turned out beautifully! I will post that recipe too. These pops can be done in steps if you aren’t able to carve out a couple hours. I also found that once done, they work best if laid flat and may fall off the stick when they stand upright (unlike a cake pop). You could also forgo the sticks altogether as pictured below, and go the direction of small hand pies, which are just as great. If you end up having any left over, they make tasty little breakfast pastries!

Recipe source.

Blueberry pancakes with a hint of lemon

I can recall many Saturday and Sunday mornings spent making pancakes or waffles when I was growing up. My dad was a pro with whipping together a boxed version using Bisquick, and my mom had an amazing homemade version she would make on occasion. Needless to say, in my adult life I haven’t jumped to purchase a box of Bisquick, and much prefer a homemade taste. Plus it’s so infrequent that I make pancakes, that making them from scratch is really, for me, the only way to go. But as a kid, whether they were from a box or not, the tradition of having them and taking the time to make something tasty on the weekend will always stand out to me. Adding a side of bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese to this doesn’t hurt either.

Yields 12-15 pancakes

1 1/2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs of melted butter

1 1/4 c whole milk

1 egg

1/4 c yogurt

Zest from 1 lemon

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

1/2 c blueberries

Using a sifter over a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gently stir a few times to ensure everything is mixed. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, milk, egg, yogurt, lemon zest and juice. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and lightly stir. Add the remaining dry ingredients, don’t over mix. Lumps in the batter are okay. You could add the blueberries to the batter at this point, or add them once the batter is poured (I prefer this method so they don’t get smashed in the batter). Using a 1/3 or 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the batter onto your preheated and well-oiled or buttered pan. Once they begin to bubble, give them a flip. Top with maple or blueberry syrup (as pictured below). Enjoy!

Recipe Source

Raspberry coconut banana bread

So for my very first recipe post, I’m completely ecstatic to share this one with you. I can’t tell you how fun it is to try something out, be completely wowed by the taste, share it with others and they have the same reaction. I recently found a recipe for raspberry coconut macaroons, and thought what a great combination, raspberries and coconut– I wonder if I can find similar ingredients for muffins? I googled around and in the process found a fabulous food blog, Crepes of Wrath, who created this raspberry coconut banana bread. Who doesn’t love banana bread already, but then to add these flavors just takes over the top. Raspberries and coconut just say spring to me and this bread (or as muffins) would be a welcome addition to brunch, Mother’s Day, whatever you think of– try to work this one in! Your friends and family will thank you.

Ingredients

1¾ cup all-purpose flower

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

2 eggs, room temperature

3 medium sized bananas, mashed

1½ cups fresh raspberries

1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the mashed banana and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add in the flour and baking powder and mix until just moistened. Fold in the shredded coconut and raspberries. Spread the batter into a greased 9 inch round cake pan (or a 9×5 inch loaf pan). Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until lightly golden on the top and cooked through (inserting a toothpick to check). Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!

Recipe via.