Yummy Homemade Granola

Granola...mmm! 

I'm not much of a breakfast person but I try to eat a little something every morning. My quick, go-to breakfast has been honey vanilla greek yogurt with granola or fruit.

Between the two of us, Nate and I eat a lot of granola! I have been interested in making my own granola for quite awhile and experimenting with different ingredients.

This granola smelled like cookies baking while in the oven and it did not disappoint, so delicious!

Homemade Granola Recipe

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 pinch of salt

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins 

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. honey

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine oats, salt, cinnamon, almonds, pecans, and raisins in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

In a glass measuring cup, melt coconut oil. Add the brown sugar, honey, and vanilla to the oil and stir.*    

Pour some of the liquid into the oat mixture and mix well. Continue to stir and add the remaining liquid until evenly coated.

Spread evenly on a large baking sheet with sides. 

Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Stir granola every 8 minutes. Stir when you remove from oven for the last time. Let cool completely before storing in a clean, dry container. 

*I used coconut oil and my sugar did not dissolve into it but became a big blob floating in the oil. I chopped this up the best I could with my spoon and it did not affect the finished product!

This recipe is so forgiving! If your mixture is way too dry, add some more melted coconut oil, melted butter, or honey!

I plan on making this with dried apricots, pecans, and cinnamon next! The possibilities are endless with different combinations of fruit, nuts, seeds, and chocolate!

It was hardly cooled before a corner was missing from the pan! Yum!

I'm looking forward to breakfast tomorrow!

Who is going to make some granola?!

Megan 

Suit Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies are one of my favorite sweets! I really enjoy them because they are connected to one of my family's traditions. Every Christmas we make 200-300 sugar cookies to eat and give away. I love this family event and I look forward to decorating day.

Christmas Cookies 2015

I bought these adorable antique cookie cutters up on the Spoon River Drive last October. They're so cute and I've been looking forward to making cookies with them.

I whipped up some yummy sugar cookie dough and let it sit in the fridge overnight. I'm not much of a raw-dough-eating person but this dough is so yummy I could eat a bowl of it! Thanks, Mom, for making cookies with me!

Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar 

Mix all ingredients well in mixer. 

Chill for best results.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until 1/8-1/4 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters.

Bake at 350 degrees F on a parchment paper lined sheet for 10-12 minutes. 

Cool completely before icing.

Icing Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

4-5 cups powdered sugar

milk to thin, to desired consistency, added a 1/2 Tbsp. at a time 

1-2 tsp. corn syrup, to give icing shine 

2 tsp. vanilla extract

food coloring, I used food coloring gel for vibrant colors

plastic sandwich bag for piping

Cream butter.

Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix well, adding a little milk each time.

Once you have achieved desired consistency add vanilla and corn syrup. 

Divide icing and add food coloring. 

Aren't they cute!? While I iced cookies in the kitchen, this is what was happening in my adjoining laundry room!

Nate worked in the attic most of the day finishing up a house project!

I added frosting to a bag so I could pipe on my cookies. 

Ready for a game of double solitaire! 

Cards, anyone?

Megan

Almond Pastry Braid

Welcome to my blog!

I have been wanting to write a blog for quite awhile now so I'm anxious to get started and share about my home and kitchen! 

"Love grows best in little houses" right??

So food must taste best from a little kitchen! 

I don't have a lot of counter space so I always have to be creative when I bake and cook. My goal is usually just to keep everything on the counter and not have eggs running down the front of the cabinets! I'm still working on that. 

I set my mixer up on my kitchen table today so I would have more working space.

For my first official post I baked this beauty.

This pastry has loads of sweet almond flavor and it smells heavenly while you make it!

Thanks Willow Bird Baking for this yummy recipe!

Almond Pastry Braid Recipe

Prep time: 30 mins    Cook time: 25 mins    Total Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

Filling ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, softened
1/3 cup of sugar
dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
4 ounces almond paste* grated with a hand grater
1 cup sliced almonds

Icing ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
sliced almonds for topping

*The original recipe called for 7 ounces of almond paste. Although the almond flavor is delicious, I felt like I had too much filling. You can buy an 8 ounce can of almond paste at the grocery store. I have decided to half the almond paste and use only 4 ounces. I will freeze the extra for another batch!

Making the filling: Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Mix in salt and almond extract. Stir in the almond paste flakes* and almonds.

*Willow Bird Baking suggested freezing the almond paste before grating. I did not freeze my almond paste and it grated and mixed in just fine. I will try freezing it next time and see if it is easier.

Pastry bread: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In the bowl of the food processor, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cream cheese and butter to the flour mixture and pulse to cut the fat into the flour (about 6 pulses). Add the milk and almond extract and blend until it's just coming together into a loose dough.

Turn the dough out onto lightly-floured parchment paper and knead very lightly for 5 or 6 strokes.  (Be careful not to overwork the dough or it will be tough! Don't worry about the dough being smooth, you want to keep the chunks of fat so you get light, fluffy pastry). Lightly sprinkle some more flour on the dough and roll in out to a 10 by 12 inch rectangle. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds. Spread the filling over the middle third of the dough.

Continue assembling the braid: Make diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each of the long sides. Do not cut into the filling area. Fold strips, first one from one side and then one from the other side in an alternating fashion, over the filling. It will now resemble a braid. Use the sheet of parchment paper to carefully transfer your braid to a baking sheet. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the braid overnight, or you can continue to the next step.

Bake and glaze the bread: Brush the pastry braid with the egg wash mixture. Bake in the 425 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, until the top is really golden and the filling is set. After allowing the braid to cool, about 30 minutes, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract in a small measuring cup. Drizzle over the braid. Top with sliced almonds and serve!

So Delicious! Perfect with a glass of milk or coffee.

Enjoy!

Megan