Peanut Butter Granola

Peanut Butter Granola with Chocolate Chips and Raisins

 We have been a little granola-obsessed in our house lately.  If I don't have a batch in the pantry handy for serving with yogurt or a splash of milk, I feel a little lost.  And, since I have a few others who are eagerly helping me work through containers of granola, I've been making it quite a bit these days.

Something fantastic about homemade granola is ingredients can be mixed and matched based on what's in your cupboard. Feel free to add or delete things from these recipes based on your mood and what's in stock. 

I wanted to try a peanut butter rendition this last time.  I really like how the peanut butter makes for bigger, "snackable" clusters.  It's been hard to resist picking them out of the jar and munching them one by one.  Not being a huge peanut fan, I don't know if this is my favorite batch, but definitely share-worthy.  And, as just about every time he's getting another scoop, my husband likes to remind me of what one of our latest house guests commented: "This granola is LEGIT!"

Also, check out the previous post on Mango Ginger Granola and below for a more traditional granola variation for other granola related ideas.  I am looking forward to experimenting in making my own granola bars next!

Peanut Butter Granola
3 cups rolled oats (the "Old Fashioned" kind)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment.  In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, sesame seeds and coconut.  Stir together honey, vanilla and peanut butter in a microwavable dish (a pyrex measuring cup is ideal).  Heat for about 30 seconds to soften peanut butter.  Stir together peanut butter mixture until smooth.  Pour over oats and mix together until all the oats are moistened.  Turn mixture out onto prepared baking sheet.  Spread into a single layer (mixture will be a bit clumpy and that's ok, it gives you lots of little clusters to snack on!).  Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent burning.  Granola is done when golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Stir in peanuts and chocolate chips and raisins (if using).  Transfer to an airtight container.

Traditional Granola Recipe with Raisins

Traditional Granola Variation:
Combine oats, wheat germ, sesame seeds and coconut as above.  Add 1/2 cup raw almonds (slivered, sliced or roughly chopped).
Omit peanut butter and substitute 1/4 cup vegetable oil.  Stir oil into honey (or maple syrup or agave nectar) along with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Bake at 325 for 25-35 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent browning.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Stir in 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds and 1 cup dried fruit (or combination) of your choice (raisins, chopped dates, apricots, dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries, mango...).
Store in an airtight container.

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp

In case you haven't noticed, I have just the tiniest bit of a sweet tooth (no kidding).  It's terrible and a habit I wish I could break (not really, I am afraid).  It was especially bad during my pregnancies--I believe I still have a few of the Milky Ways I enjoyed during that time plastered to my middle.  Although it's abated somewhat, I still have to end the evening with something just a tiny bit sweet.  I'm not picky, it doesn't even have to be extravagant. 

A crisp is one of the simplest desserts around and it goes together extremely quickly.  Despite its rather humble place in the dessert world, I don't think you can go wrong with a sweet fruit filling topped with buttery, brown-sugar crumble.  Since we've had an abundance of fresh fruit in the house, I decided a crisp was in order. 

It can be varied in the topping and filling based on what you have on hand.  I was feeling nostalgic about my Grandma Lois' Cherry Rhubarb Jam (I'll have to get my hands on and share that recipe) and thought I'd give that Cherry Rhubarb combination a spin.  Feel free to substitute another fruit: blueberries, peaches, blackberries, apples, you get the idea...

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp
3 cups pitted cherries
3 cups rhubarb, trimmed and sliced (frozen is fine)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract, optional
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup regular oats
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
4 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt for serving (we did a splash of half and half because that was what was in the house at the time)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a medium sized baking dish (11x7 or 8x8-inch recommended) with cooking spray.
Add fruit, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, lemon juice and almond extract in baking dish and stir to combine. 
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture becomes like coarse meal.  Sprinkle over the fruit mixture. 
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until bubbly and beginning to turn golden on top. 
Top each serving with whipped cream or ice cream. 

Recipe adapted from: The Best of Cooking Light, Blueberry Crisp a la Mode
Note:  This is a very basic crisp recipe.  You can add other things to make it more personal:
I have been known to use whatever odd bits of granola (or crumbled up granola bars), the mangled gingersnaps at the bottom of the bag, lonely graham cracker pieces, chopped nuts etc. I have lying around to make a crisp--just stir those extra bits in with the flour and oats (or in place of the oats) before adding the butter (using more butter if necessary).

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

This is a nostalgic recipe.  My mom would make this cookie a lot while we were growing up.  It's one of those recipes that we were always bound to have the ingredients on hand.  She'd throw a batch together by memory as we were getting ready for school and the first tray would be out of the oven and into our lunch boxes before we ran out the door to catch the bus.  On those days, we'd come home to rows of the chewy, chocolatey oatmeal cookies cooling on the counter.  How she didn't eat them all while we were away and they were sitting out like that, I'll never know, but they were always a welcome sight!


Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks or 16 tablespoons) butter softened or margarine
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg, water and vanilla and mix thoroughly until fully combined.  In another bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Stir into wet ingredients and mix just until a soft dough is formed.  Stir in oats and chocolate chips.   Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls about 1" apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes or until cookies are set, but centers are still soft (not wet).  Remove from oven, allow to cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove with a spatula and transfer onto a cooling rack or layers of paper towels to finish cooling.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Back to School Breakfast

Today was Silas' first day of preschool. He did do a round of "Preschool Light" last year, so there really wasn't too much apprehension (on either of our parts), but there was definitely the "back to school" feeling in our house this morning. To start him off right, I made an extra hearty breakfast (made enough for me too, it's hard work getting a four year old out the door!) and I think it did the trick!


Funky Monkey Oatmeal

1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup water
pinch of salt
large shake of cinnamon
1/2 banana, mashed (can reserve a couple slices for garnish)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter!)
1 tablespoon vanilla flavored protein powder (optional)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
milk for serving

In a very large, microwave-safe bowl, combine oats, water, salt and cinnamon. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes or until oats are thickened (making sure to watch very closely so that your oatmeal doesn't end up on the floor of your microwave from boiling over). Remove from microwave and stir in banana and peanut butter. Transfer to serving bowl (or eat from what you microwaved it in) and top with brown sugar (Silas likes visible lumps) and milk.

note: I prefer the flavor and texture of Old Fashioned rolled oats or Steel Cut oats and you are welcome to substitute, allowing extra cooking time. When I'm really on the ball and forward-thinking enough, I'll soak steel cut oats overnight (combine 1 cup steel cuts and 4 cups of water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and allow to boil for one minute and then remove from heat, cover and let sit overnight. In the morning, bring the oats and water to a boil and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the oatmeal is desired tenderness).