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I don't make granola very often, but when I do it disappears so fast! A nibble here, a bowl there, breakfast, snacks, toppings, and it's gone! This time I wanted to make it for a recipe I'm going to try out. I put granola on my grocery list, but then thought, why can't I just make it myself? So. I used this recipe as a basic outline, then added and tweaked to fit what I wanted it to be. It turned out so great, it might be our favorite so far! Note: I made a second batch of this granola using quick oats instead of old fashioned oats just to experiment with the consistency. The quick oat batch had a consistency more like what you get from store bought granola. Make it how you love it best!
Honey Vanilla Almond Granola
5 cups old fashioned oats
2 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 egg whites
Preheat the oven to 300F. Lightly grease a half sheet pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the oats and almonds. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey, brown Sugar, and cinnamon. Place in the microwave and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each until bubbly. Be careful that it doesn't boil over in the microwave. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract. The mixture will bubble up a bit. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir until evenly moistened.
Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat until white and foamy. You don't need peaks here, just foam. Stir the foamy egg whites into the oat mixture. Pour the granola onto the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer.
Bake the granola for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not stir. This plus the egg whites will keep the granola in those lovely clumps. Remove granola from the oven and let cool completely. Break the granola into pieces and store in an airtight container. Makes about 12 cups.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
A couple of weeks ago I seriously botched a batch of coconut oil frosting. I mean major. I didn't even know how to start salvaging it but I totally hated to throw it away! I figured it was just coconut oil and powdered sugar and maple syrup anyway, so why not just add an egg, some flour and oatmeal and a bit of baking soda and make coconut oil oatmeal cookies? I found this recipe and used it as a very very very loose guide (considering that I had no idea how much coconut oil or sugar was in there...ah the joys of not measuring). And it worked. And the cookies were so good, that I decided to try them again, but for real this time. With a real recipe. And they are still yum!
Whole Wheat Coconut Oil Raisinet Cookies
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups Raisinets, or other chocolate covered raisins
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, coconut oil, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, quick oats, and old fashioned oats, and beat until almost combined. Beat in the chocolate covered raisins until evenly distributed.
Scoop the dough into tablespoon size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or until very lightly browned at the edges. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I have a seriously impressive yet easy cake for you today. I don't normally use cake mixes, but my life has been seriously crazy lately and I needed a break! I've been wanting to make an Oreo cake, and this is what I came up with. I threw some black cocoa powder in with the cake mix to give me a seriously dark Oreo-like chocolate flavor in these moist cake layers. The marshmallow cream filling is light and fluffy and delicious. Can't even get over the filling. The frosting is full of chopped Oreos, which give you some nice chunks of Oreo in each bite.
Oreo Layer Cake with Marshmallow Cream Filling
Chocolate Cake:
1 box dark chocolate cake mix
1 box (4 serving size) instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 cup black cocoa or dark cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
Marshmallow Cream Filling:
1 container (7 ounces) marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
2 teaspoons hot water
Oreo Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
18 Oreos, chopped
Extra Oreos for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 9-inch round baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper, then lightly grease the paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, pudding mix, and cocoa powder. Whisk in the eggs and milk until combined and well blended. Pour the cake batter evenly in the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the marshmallow cream filling, in a medium bowl, place the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and hot water. Beat together until completely combined, smooth and fluffy.
For the Oreo frosting, cream together the butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and butter flavoring. Beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until combined. Add the milk (adding more if necessary to reach the desired consistency), and beat the frosting until smooth. On low speed, beat in the chopped oreos until evenly distributed.
To assemble the cake, place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the cream filling on top, then place the second cake layer on top of the cream filling, pressing down slightly. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the Oreo frosting. Garnish with extra Oreos, if desired. Makes 16 servings.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
These brownies are the reworked smashingly successful version of the not so successful vacation brownies that I made in Wyoming. We start with a deliciously easy fudgy brownie (recipe slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour), topped with an incredible vanilla frosting, and finished off with a layer of peanut butter white chocolate rice krispies. These brownies have a variety of flavors and textures, and are perfectly addicting.
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Rice Krispies Brownies
Brownie Layer:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting Layer:
2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon butter flavoring (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
Rice Krispies Layer:
1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups rice krispies cereal
Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly spray an 8x11 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the eggs, melted butter, oil, and vanilla, and stir together until completely blended and smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Remove brownies from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, beat together the butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and butter flavoring (if using). Beat in the powdered sugar, a little at a time until completely combined. Beat in the milk, starting with 1 teaspoon and adding more if necessary to reach the desired consistency. Beat until smooth. Spread frosting evenly over the completely cooled brownies.
For the the rice krispies layer, place the rice krispies in a medium bowl. Place the white chocolate chips and peanut butter in a plastic microwaveable bowl (I have never had white chocolate seize when I melt it in a plastic bowl!). Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval until the mixture is melted and smooth. Pour the peanut butter white chocolate mixture over the rice krispies and stir together until combined. Spread the rice krispies mixture evenly over the frosting brownies, pressing down lightly. Let cool completely or chill for an hour or two before cutting. Makes 20 brownies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I decided to continue on with the coconut oil track (since I still have some left) with these coconut oil chocolate orange date cookies. I made these coconut oil chocolate chip cookies and absolutely loved them, so I thought I would try them in chocolate form. They turned out amazing. They have a fabulous chocolate orange flavor to them, and the dates and mini chocolate chips are perfect! I was a little bit worried that the dates would overpower the other flavors in the cookie, but they complemented the other flavors very nicely. I like my cookies to be a little thicker than these turned out, so I might try adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra flour next time. Also, one quick note: If you don't have or don't care to use coconut oil for these cookies or the regular coconut oil chocolate chip cookies, just substitute the same quantity of butter for the coconut oil. So 1/2 cup of coconut oil would equal 1/2 cup of butter. The texture will be a bit different, and the cookies won't spread as much, but they will still be delicious.
Coconut Oil Chocolate Orange Date Cookies
1 cup coconut oil (or substitute 1 cup butter)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces chopped dates
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time (Yes Shauna, I did actually do this!), followed by the vanilla extract until incorporated. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat until just combined. Stir in the dates and mini chocolate chips.
Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls. (At this point, you can freeze the cookie dough balls if you want. When ready to bake, just place the frozen dough on the baking sheet and bake as normal. You may need to add 2 or 3 minutes to the bake time. The frozen cookie dough will not spread as much, making a slightly thicker cookie, which I prefer). Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, 2 to 3 inches apart (these will spread). Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are just set in the center. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for several minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 40 cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I little while ago, I made these No Bake Cookies Bars with Coconut Oil and Honey. I bought the coconut oil specifically so I could make those bars, but I didn't know what else to use it for. I settled on chocolate chip cookies, and they are super delicious. They have a slightly different texture and flavor than regular chocolate chip cookies with butter and/or shortening, and I love it!!! The texture is soft and chewy, yet still crispy on the outside. And they retain that crisp outer texture even after the first day.
Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cup semi sweet and 3/4 cup milk chocolate)
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scoop the dough with a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop and place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the pan. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
A friend of mine gave me a plate of these delicious no bake cookie bars a couple weeks ago, and they were an instant hit at my house. Thankfully she gave me the recipe because I think that this is our all time favorite no bake cookie recipe ever. These bars are fudgy and dense and oatmeally and delicious. You can easily double this recipe. In fact, I halved the original recipe but forgot to halve the oats in my first batch! They were still delicious, so if you like an oatier cookie bar, you can add up to double the amount that the recipe calls for and they will turn out just fine. My second batch had the correct amount of all ingredients, but I can't decide if I like the extra oat or the regular oat version better. In the picture, the bars on the left have double the oatmeal, and the bars on the right have the normal amount called for in the recipe. Also, if you're like me and don't like banana chips, you can add chopped walnuts, pecans, peanuts or cranberries instead.
No Bake Cookie Bars with Honey and Coconut Oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup banana chips, coarsely broken
Lightly spray a 9x9 inch square pan with cooking spray.
Place the peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey in a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove mixture from the heat and add quick oats, old fashioned oats, coconut, and banana chips, stirring until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm. Makes 16 bars.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
