Granola

Now and then I post a recipe on this site instead of Martha’s Kitchen Korner and Martha’s Recipes ? because this recipe will be going to Mary Kennedy, Author of Dead Air.? Mary sends goodie packages to a unit in Iraq.? And for the month of April she will be sending 20 lbs. in honor of Carolyn Hart’s 20th book Laughed ‘Til He Died.? Mary and Carolyn are calling their endeavor Hart to Heart and I for one think it’s a wonderful act of love.? So, here is my Granola recipe that you too can enjoy.? (If you would like to correspond with this unit, go to Facebook and type in Support the 389th Regiment.? I’m sure they would love to hear from you.? And while there, make sure you check out their pictures.) 4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked 1/3 cup chopped nuts 1 cup coconut 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup cranberry juice 1 pkg (6 oz.) cranberries & raisin mix Preheat oven to 350 degrees.? Combine oats, nuts, coconut, spices and salt in a large bowl.? In a small bowl whisk together the maple syrup and cranberry juice.? Pour over oat mixture and stir to coat thoroughly.? Spread in an even layer on a VERY LARGE baking dish or 2 large baking dishes (you want the layer to be as thin as possible.)? Bake 30-40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring 2-3 times during baking time.? Let cool and add raisins and cranberries.? You can change your granola by adding about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips while it’s still hot (that’s what I’ve done in the picture above).? You can mix in salted nuts for a salty/sweet taste.? Use orange or apple juice instead of cranberry.? Use yogurt covered raisins or instead of maple syrup use honey.

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Granola

Day 8 of the 12 Days of Cookies – Chocolate Mint Cookies!

? This wonderful event, in it’s second year, is the brain child of Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes , but this year is being organized and ran by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench . How I got asked to be involved with this incredible group is beyond me but all the thanks goes to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and after last year I sure earned my way in the hard way! There are 10 of us that have decided to do The 12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza. We will be choosing, baking, tasting, blogging and sharing with you a cookie a day for the first 12 days of December. These cookies are coming from bon appetit’s Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow . These are my partners in crime. We will all be choosing different cookies and surprising each other. How fun is that???? Be sure to check out their selections for the day! Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen Courtney of Coco Cooks Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook Kelly of Sass & Veracity Michelle of Big Black Dogs RJ of Flamingo Musings Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench Tiffany of The Nesting Project Day 8 of the 12 Days of Cookies brought me back to wanting chocolate.? These Chocolate Mint Cookies fit the bill perfectly too.? Just the right amount of mint and I thought I would pretty them up with just a drizzle of chocolate and some sparkling white sugar… Chocolate Mint Cookies Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process) 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup sugar 1 large egg 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped Directions: Whisk flour, cocoa powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Beat in sugar in 3 additions. Add egg and beat until blended. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended (dough will be sticky). Divide dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as aid, form dough on each into 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate dough until well chilled, at least 2 hours. (Dough can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap cookie dough logs; roll briefly on work surface to form smooth round logs. Cut logs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies until tops and edges are dry to touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets with cookies to racks; cool completely. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool melted chocolate until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 10 minutes. Dip fork into melted chocolate, then wave fork back and forth over cookies, drizzling melted chocolate thickly over cookies in zigzag pattern. Refrigerate cookies on baking sheets until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes. (Cookies can be made 1 week ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container between sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper.)

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Day 8 of the 12 Days of Cookies – Chocolate Mint Cookies!

Chocolate-Glazed Mocha Fans

This wonderful event, in it’s second year, is the brain child of Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes , but this year is being organized and ran by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench . How I got asked to be involved with this incredible group is beyond me but all the thanks goes to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and after last year I sure earned my way in the hard way! There are 10 of us that have decided to do The 12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza. We will be choosing, baking, tasting, blogging and sharing with you a cookie a day for the first 12 days of December. These cookies are coming from bon appetit’s Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow . These are my partners in crime. We will all be choosing different cookies and surprising each other. How fun is that???? Be sure to check out their selections for the day! Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen Courtney of Coco Cooks Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook Kelly of Sass & Veracity Michelle of Big Black Dogs RJ of Flamingo Musings Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench Tiffany of The Nesting Project We are on the 6th Day!!!? Halfway done and so far I have been keeping up.? Now it would be a whole other story if you asked my family how I was doing…laundry half done, kitchen perpetually a mess.? You get the picture right? Anyway for the 6th day of the 12 Days of Cookies I had decided to make the Coconut Orange Snowballs but when I pulled out my coconut I realized that the kids have been nibbling on it and there is not nearly enough left for the recipe!? Quick change of plans.? I have things to do today.? Decided on the Chocolate-Glazed Mocha Fans because I have some really yummy Callebaut Chocolate for the glaze! Chocolate-Glazed Mocha Fans Ingredients: Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

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Chocolate-Glazed Mocha Fans

12 Days of Cookies – a bon appétit cookie extravaganza! Day5…Orange-Almond Lace Cookies

This wonderful event, in it’s second year, is the brain child of Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes , but this year is being organized and ran by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench . How I got asked to be involved with this incredible group is beyond me but all the thanks goes to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and after last year I sure earned my way in the hard way! There are 10 of us that have decided to do The 12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza. We will be choosing, baking,

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12 Days of Cookies – a bon appétit cookie extravaganza! Day5…Orange-Almond Lace Cookies

12 Days of Cookies – a bon appétit cookie extravaganza! Cranberry-Orange Drop Cookies

This wonderful event, in it’s second year, is the brain child of Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes , but this year is being organized and ran by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench . How I got asked to be involved with this incredible group is beyond me but all the thanks goes to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and after last year I sure earned my way in the hard way! There are 10 of us that have decided to do The 12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza. We will be choosing, baking, tasting, blogging and sharing with you a cookie a day for the first 12 days of December. These cookies are coming from bon appetit’s Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow . These are my partners in crime. We will all be choosing different cookies and surprising each other. How fun is that???? Be sure to check out their selections for the day! Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen Courtney of Coco Cooks Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook Kelly of Sass & Veracity Michelle of Big Black Dogs RJ of Flamingo Musings Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench Tiffany of The Nesting Project For Day 4 of the 12 Days of Cookies I choose to make these flavorful little ones because after Day 3’s disaster with a rolled and cut cookie I was taking no chances at all! Really glad too.? These are delicious and decidedly a very adult cookie!? They have fresh and dried cranberries in them as well as lots of orange zest and then to top all of that off you add fresh ginger to the mix!? Just a wonderfully full flavored cookie.? The only thing I changed was adding pistachios.? For some reason I can’t find any plain just the really salty ones so I use pecans and skipped the walnuts as well.? I also added more orange zest after reading the other comments on the recipe. Cranberry-Orange Drop Cookies yield: Makes about 48 Colorful bits of cranberries, walnuts, and pistachios make these simple cookies sparkle for the holidays. Ingredients: 2 …

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12 Days of Cookies – a bon appétit cookie extravaganza! Cranberry-Orange Drop Cookies

12 Days of Cookies – a bon appétit cookie extravaganza! Chocolate Peppermint Stars

This wonderful event, in it’s second year, is the brain child of Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes , but this year is being organized and ran by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench . How I got asked to be involved with this incredible group is beyond me but all the thanks goes to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and after last year I sure earned my way in the hard way! There are 10 of us that have decided to do The 12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza. We will be choosing, baking, tasting, blogging and sharing with you a cookie a day for the first 12 days of December. These cookies are coming from bon appetit’s Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow . These are my partners in crime. We will all be choosing different cookies and surprising each other. How fun is that???? Be sure to check out their selections for the day! Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen Courtney of Coco Cooks Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook Kelly of Sass & Veracity Michelle of Big Black Dogs RJ of Flamingo Musings Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench Tiffany of The Nesting Project So, I guess you can tell that they don’t look very star like right?? These cookies and I were doomed right from the start.? Still not sure where I went wrong.? I followed the recipe to a tee.? The only thing I can think of is that it was just too stinky hot in here and the recipe is kinda weird.? No egg, no baking soda or baking powder.? Hmmm… Here is my star attempt… Not very star like right?? I decided that I was not gong to waste any more chocolate on these cookies so I just put the candy cane crumbles on them before I baked them.? I realized after that wasn’t such a good idea so on the drop ones I made I just pressed it into it when it was baked. Chocolate Peppermint Stars Servings: Makes about 32 cookies…

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12 Days of Cookies – a bon appétit cookie extravaganza! Chocolate Peppermint Stars

12 Days of Cookies – A bon appetit cookie extravaganza! Pecan Lace Sandwich Cookies with Orange Buttercream

This wonderful event, in it’s second year, is the brain child of Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes , but this year is being organized and ran by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench . How I got asked to be involved with this incredible group is beyond me but all the thanks goes to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and after last year I sure earned my way in the hard way! There are 10 of us that have decided to do The 12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza. We will be choosing, baking, tasting, blogging and sharing with you a cookie a day for the first 12 days of December. These cookies are coming from bon appetit’s Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow . These are my partners in crime. We will all be choosing different cookies and surprising each other. How fun is that???? Be sure to check out their selections for the day! Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen Courtney of Coco Cooks Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook Kelly of Sass & Veracity Michelle of Big Black Dogs RJ of Flamingo Musings Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench Tiffany of The Nesting Project Day 2 of the 12 Days of Cookies was a HUGE success!? I loved these cookies and could sit down and eat a whole bath of them!? Lucky for me the batches are really small… Pecan Lace Sandwich Cookies with Orange Buttercream ( bonappetit.com ) The orange juice and grated peel in the icing between these gorgeous crispy pecan lace sandwich cookies makes them an ideal accompaniment to any holiday dessert spread. Makes about 18 (I only got 12 out of this) Ingredients COOKIES 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/3 cup all purpose flour 1 cup coarsely ground pecans (about 4 ounces) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract FILLING 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 tablespoon orange juice 3/4 teaspoon grated orange peel Preparation COOKIES Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir butter, sugar, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Add nuts and vanilla; stir to combine. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until bubbling and lightly browned, about 11 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. FILLING Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread 1 teaspoon filling onto bottom

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12 Days of Cookies – A bon appetit cookie extravaganza! Pecan Lace Sandwich Cookies with Orange Buttercream