SRC: Nutty Granola

This month's Secret Recipe Club  reveal is from Eliot's Eats.  Debra's blog is filled with wholesome goodness!  I loved looking through her recipe's, as well as just browsing the other parts of her blog.  I also loved that she has a heart for real food and eating local.

If you're new around here, The Secret Recipe Club is a once a month event where I'm assigned another members blog to cook from and blog about.  Likewise, someone has my blog too.  It's a secret until the big reveal day.  Plus, for a foodie like me, I've been introduced to so many amazing food blogs through this experience.  Please go check out The Secret Recipe Club for tons of awesome blogs, recipe's and bloggers.  These people are a fantastic community.

One of the favorite foods in my household is granola, so I was thrilled to find Eliot's Eats Nutty Granola recipe.  It is quite different from my 'usual', so I was excited to try it.  Not that I don't love the other one, I just think a little variety is good.  I did make a couple changes due to not having some ingredients on hand, and they are noted in the ingredient list.


Nutty Granola

2 T. canola oil
1/4 c. local honey
1/4 c. light molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 c. brown sugar (light or dark—your choice)
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
4 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. pecan halves (I used walnuts)
1/4 c. raw pepitas
1/2 c. raw pistachios (I used cashews--although I would have loved the pistachios)
1/4 c. flax seeds (I omitted because I only had flaxseed meal)
1/4 c. chia seeds

I also roughly chopped my nuts, which Debra's recipe does not suggest.  I just have little ones eating it.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees . 

 Place canola oil, honey and molasses in a sauce pan.  I loved Debra's tip to measure the canola oil into a 1/4 c. measuring cup. Swirl it around to coat the measuring cup and then pour it in a small sauce pan. This will help the honey and molasses flow from the cup.  Add the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.

Heat over low heat and stir with a whisk until sugar is dissolved. Let cool slightly while the other ingredients are mixed.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, walnuts, pepitas, cashews, and chia seeds. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir well so all ingredients are coated.


Divide mixture and spread evenly on the two baking sheets. Place in oven and and set timer for 10 minutes. After timer goes off, rotate baking sheets and stir. Add timer for another 10 minutes. Repeat. Total cooking time is 35-40 minutes.

This does tend to burn easily so watch carefully.

Some of our favorite ways to eat granola:  As a cereal,

Topping off Yogurt,

Or spreading some Almond butter on apple slices and sprinkling the granola over it.

This granola just might be a new favorite!  Thanks Eliot's Eats!

Maple Apple Crisp

I've been meaning to post this recipe since October when I made it for my hubby's birthday.  I loved the addition of maple syrup and dried cranberries to this delicious Apple Crisp.

For those of you who don't know, we are foster parents.  In August, 2 lovely little girls came to live with us.  We added a 3 yr. old and a 1 yr. old to our 6 yr. old and 8 yr. old.  We are really enjoying them.  I know people have 4 plus kids, and do great, but it did take a little adjusting.  Going from 2-4 overnight, yeah, it was pretty chaotic.  Let's be honest, there's a little chaos every day.  :D  But, I wouldn't change it.  If we come to mind, please pray these girls lives would be touched in a positive way through being with our family for this time.  Okay, that was my explanation (excuse?) for not writing more often.  But, now on to the recipe:

This was adapted from Cuisine at Home.

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt, divided
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
3/4 c. dried cranberries
3/4 c. apple cider, boiling
4 lb. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into slices (about 9 apples)
3/4 c. pure maple syrup (gotta use the real stuff here)
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tbs all purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

For the streusel, whisk together the flour, sugars, and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl.  Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Mix oats and walnuts into flour mixture with your hands until thoroughly combined; cover and refrigerate.

I could just eat this with a spoon.

For the filling, soak cranberries in apple cider, covered, until plumped.

Toss together apples, cranberries, maple syrup, lemon juice, 2 tbs flour, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl.  Transfer apple mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish, (or 2 pie dishes work too).  cover apples with streusel and bake until apples are tender, about 50 minutes.  Let apple crisp rest on a cooling rack 30 minutes before serving.

We like to top ours with vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!!