Vanilla-Scented Granola

It's been a rainy weekend which is the perfect opportunity to stay in and bake 'n blog! I'm not quite sure what got me thinking about homemade granola. I have never made it before, so maybe I was just curious to see if making it from scratch is really worth it. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is SO worth it. I had trouble keeping myself from just eating this by the spoonful out of the baking pan. The toasted almonds, vanilla, cinnamon and honey make a delicious flavor combination that is sweet, but not too sweet. The texture is wonderfully crispy (especially right out of the oven), and the caramelized sugars provide additional crunch. The granola keeps for two weeks in an air-tight container, but it will be gone before that. You'll think twice about purchasing store-bought granola again after trying this recipe!

The recipe is very straight-forward. Mix your old-fashioned rolled oats (not the instant kind), sliced almonds, golden brown sugar, salt and ground cinnamon in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine the oil, honey and sugar and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Mine started simmering very quickly, so keep an eye on it. Take it off the heat, and then add in the vanilla extract.

Pour the hot liquid into the bowl with the oats, and then toss the mixture until the liquid has evenly coated the oats. You may need to use your hands.

Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, and then spread the granola mixture evenly over the pan. Bake it for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Those toasted almonds made my kitchen smell so good!

This basic granola recipe is incredibly versatile. Make a parfait with Greek yogurt, honey and berries, serve it over vanilla ice cream for some extra crunch, or eat it with your favorite cereal.

Make sure you put the leftovers in an easily accessible place in your pantry!

Vanilla-Scented Granola
From Epicurious
Note - I made half the recipe

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I was generous with the cinnamon)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Lightly spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. 

Mix the next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Combine oil, honey and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Using hands or a spatula, toss granola until thoroughly mixed.

Spread granola on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer sheet to rack and cool granola completely. 

Can be made two weeks ahead, store in airtight container at room temperature.

Apples and Peanut Butter Crisp

Peanut butter is pretty much its own food group in our household. I love eating it with bananas and apples for breakfast to keep mid-morning hangry-ness (not a typo - hungry + angry) at bay. This recipe is very simple and versatile - I've eaten it for dessert and also mixed it with some plain greek yogurt for breakfast. The chopped peanuts add a nice crunch which is unusual for a crisp. I would definitely serve this with a scoop of some low-fat ice cream. The lack of butter keeps the apples pretty dry, so the ice cream really improves the texture.

Just slice up a mixture of green and red apples and layer in a square baking dish.

Mix in the flour and brown sugar.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. The mix up your topping - oats, brown sugar, flour, peanut butter and chopped peanuts. You'll have to work a bit to get the peanut butter incorporated, but it comes together in a few minutes.

Spread the topping over the baked apples, and just slip it in the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

You probably have everything you need to make this simple family-friendly crisp in your pantry now, so go get busy baking.

Apples and Peanut Butter Crisp

From Better Homes and Gardens, The Ultimate Low-Calorie Book

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 6 medium red and / or green apples, cored and thinly sliced (I left the peels on for extra fiber and texture)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place apple slices in a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons flour and the 1 tablespoon brown sugar until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over apple slices in dish; toss to coat.

Bake, covered for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the rolled oats, the 2 tablespoons flour, and the 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Using a fork, stir in peanut butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in peanuts. Uncover apple mixture; sprinkle with oat mixture.

Bake, uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes more or until apples are tender and topping is golden. Serve warm with vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream.

Nutrition facts per serving: 174 calories, 6 g total fat, 51 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 4 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates.