Cherry Coconut Granola with Hazelnuts and a Little Bit of Gratitude

Today I feel grateful and thankful for so many reasons. I would like to say thanks to my family for being there for me unconditionally. Thanks to many great friends, who unselfishly share their time, laughs, stories, and comfort me in moments of self-doubt. Thanks to my Ody, who besides being ridiculously cute, is also quite the charmer - I love you to pieces despite the fact that today you jumped onto the counter and ate half a loaf of African coriander bread and 3 English muffins, but you were kind enough to leave me two. You know what you want, and I can respect that. Thanks to my wonderful husband for believing in me, especially during times when I don't quite believe in myself. Thanks to my barista, who puts a smile on my face everyday with her adorable latte art - especially that swan you made last week. You have amazing talent, and I am pretty sure I will never be able to make a coffee quite as good as you. Thanks to Columbia City Bakery for making a delicious loaf of bread,  which I use as a vessel to ferry avocado from my plate to my mouth. Thanks to Odd Fellows for allowing me to spend most of my days sitting in their humble abode, sipping coffee and eating my veggies, and occasionally trying to cure my writers block with orange juice and champagne (p.s. thank you alcohol for existing). Finally, I would also like to thank you guys, my wonderful readers, for taking a moment out of your day to visit my site, and for leaving thoughtful comments. It means the world to me. You motivate me to become a better person, baker, writer, and photographer. To you, I am grateful. 

As well as showing gratitude for people I love, I also feel grateful for the simple things in life. The simplicity that surrounds me everyday, that I may not always be able to see. For example, this recipe for granola. Extremely delicious, healthy and satisfying, and yet so simple. I guess it takes weeks of preparation, hours slaving over the stove, to really appreciate a recipe that can be easily made with a handful of ingredients, and prepared (minus the cooking time) in less than 5 minutes. 

I truly am a sucker for a nice sweet crunchy granola. I enjoy it best sprinkled on top of thick plain Greek yogurt, with a few mixed berries and a drizzle of honey. Although, don't get me wrong, I am perfectly content just eating it by the handful. That's the joy of granola - perfectly acceptable for breakfast, yet also provides the same satisfyingly sweet pleasure that one gets from eating a cookie. It's a win-win. 

Before diving into the world of granola, I did some research. After my last failed attempt at making granola - one that didn't live up to my granola standards, this time I decided not to let my precious ingredients go to waste. I found a great read on

Deconstructing Granola by Gourmande in the Kitchen

.  I was excited to read her post, paragraph by paragraph, realizing that I  am not alone in my desires for the perfect granola, and that indeed we do share the same preferences. The combination of half old fashioned and half quick oats was a great suggestion for a light, crispy, crunchy texture. Adding the nuts half way through baking prevents them from burning, and adding dried fruit at the end ensures that they stay soft, plump, and moist. Using a generous amount of honey helps the mixture stick together, and clumping it with your hands ensures that you will get those large satisfying pieces. I am completely smitten with this recipe. It's one that I will likely turn to time and time again. For some variety though, I'll likely switch up the nuts and dried fruit. Enjoy! 

CHERRY COCONUT GRANOLA WITH HAZELNUTS RECIPE

(print)

makes 3 cups

notes: You can substitute the cherries and hazelnuts for any of your favorite dried fruit and nuts. Also, orange juice can be substituted with apple, grape, or cranberry juice.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp orange juice

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cups rolled oats

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 300ºF.

In a small bowl, whisk the honey, orange juice, canola oil, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine the oats and salt. Add the wet to the dry and combine.

Layer a baking sheet with parchment paper. With your hands, grab handfuls of the granola and squeeze tight. Drop the clumps onto the baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. 

Remove and add the hazelnuts. Continue to bake for 15 - 20 more minutes or until the granola becomes golden brown. Remove from the oven and combine with the coconut flakes and dried cherries. Let cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to a month. Make sure to let cool completely before storing. 

Chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Bars

Life is getting busy. On top of our daily tasks, we've got winter sports, dinner parties, birthday parties, vacations, and friends. Hectic schedules sometimes keep us from getting our health on. But lets not forget that it is important to take some time to care for ourselves. Sometimes we need a little granola to get our health on. Whether it's served up parfait style or in chewy bar form, granola is not just for the crunchers. A hearty homemade granola with lots of seeds, nuts, and dried fruit can be a great source of fibre, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, which sounds pretty awesome to me.

Sometimes when life gets a little busy, tossing a box of commercial granola bars into your cart seems totally easy, and that's fair. But if I told you that it only takes 10 minutes to make a super delicious chewy treat packed with major health, would you still reach for that box?

Making homemade granola bars exercises the creativeness in me. Making is granola is a very personal experience.  You can add any ingredient that pleases your palate. You'll need oats, which is a must, any type of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and a binder/sweetener/glaze. Something sticky like honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar to hold it together and add sweetness. All of your delicious ingredients will taste extra amazing once they've toasted in the oven for 20 minutes.

Once the granola has baked, it is ready to be mixed with some oil, honey, and nut butter. This will hold it all together creating the granola bar's shape. Such a wonderful snack for a busy and hectic week/month/life.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT GRANOLA BAR RECIPE
makes 12 bars

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 tbsp flax seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cranberry juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup cherries, chopped
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup hazelnut butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 ounce dark chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, hazelnuts, flax seeds, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, honey, cranberry juice, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon.

Spread over a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring after 10.

Remove the granola from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the chopped cherries and stir.

In a small saucepan, heat the honey, hazelnut butter, and canola oil on medium heat until it reaches a boil.

Add the wet ingredients to the granola and stir. Place a piece of wax paper into a 8 or 9 inch baking pan and press flat with a spatula.

Heat one ounce of dark chocolate in a double boiler. Once it has melted, drizzle over the granola bars. Place in the fridge to let cool. Cut and serve. May be stored in the fridge for up to a week.