Oatmeal Cookie Granola

I had a lot of fantastical stories to weave about this granola, and the Girlfriend Brunch I hosted last week, during which I (1) enjoyed the delightsome company of a long-lost friend, (2) showered before noon, and (3) made an absurd amount of healthy breakfast eats, all of which will be unveiled this week on Cheeky Kitchen.

However, right now, I’m rather distracted. A little girl and a chihuahua are currently bubble-bathing in our giant bathtub. Through clouds of white bubbles, I can see a button-black nose and two very concerned chihuahua eyes. The little girl is splashing, and singing merrily, unaware of the chihuahua’s plight.

Who wants to write about granola at a time like this? Bathing suit on. Jumping into the bathtub. Peace out.

Oatmeal Cookie Granola
Homemade granola isn’t hard to make at all. This is such a lovely recipe because you can make it in it’s simplest, most true-to-nature form…something you can’t get from a boxed batch of granola. This recipes makes a lot–enough to share–which, I happen to think makes it the very finest recipe of all, especially when the batches are resplendent and warm with the flavors of coconut-cinnamon-vanilla-and-almond. If you’re looking for a non-cookie flavored granola, feel free to mix and match the nuts and extracts listed below to personalize your granola with favorite flavors. The addition of coconut, sunflower seeds, flax, corn flakes or brown rice krispy’s would be welcome. One note of caution, however. If you plan to mix dried fruit into your cereal, don’t stir it in until the very end, lest you get a batch of over cooked, burnt tasting fruit in your granola.
4 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups Coach’s Oats (or subsitute with more regular oats)
½ cup quinoa
¾ cup honey
¼ cup dark brown sugar
⅔ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ tablespoon almond extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup raw pepitas (optional)
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup pecans, chopped
In a large bowl, stir together the oats and quinoa, set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the honey, brown sugar, coconut oul, vanilla and almond extracts, and cinnamon. Heat over medium heat just until melted, then pour over the oat mixture and stir together until well coated. Turn the oats onto a cookie sheet that has been coated with a layer of parchment paper. Spread the oats into an even layer. Bake in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the granola from the oven and stir the pumpkin seeds, almonds, and pecans into the mixture. Return to the oven and bake 15 minutes more. Use a spatula to flip the granola over, then cook for 15-20 minutes more, until the edges of the granola are slightly browned. Remove the granola from the oven, stir it around one more time, then allow to airdry and harden overnight before serving.

What a response we had on last week’s Toll House Back-to-School Baking giveaway!
Congratulations to Anita! You’ll be recieving a big ol’ box of cookie love!
and
Congratulations to The Ottley’s, winners of Stouffer’s Let’s Fix Dinner book, illustrated by the magical Todd Parr.
If you gals will email me your contact info, I’ll get your packages right in the mail! Whooty-whoo!