Tag Archives: dessert

Homemade Granola

07 Sunday May 2017

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Hi all! Thought I’d share a quick post of one of my favorite and easy-to-make snacks – granola. The basic recipe is below but you can change it up with different additions, such as dried fruit or even chocolate chips.

In future posts I’ll include more healthy recipes and tips for refining not so healthy ones. Enjoy! Until next time . . . just love, Collette

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Ingredients:

  • 4 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1-2 cups nuts (I used pecans in the pic above but walnuts are great, too.)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1-2 drops vanilla extract
  • dash of salt

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oats and nuts in a bowl. In a small pot heat the syrup, molasses, honey, vanilla and salt over a low-medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, remove from heat and pour over the oat mixture. Stir together until mixed well.

Spread evenly in a foil-lined pan and bake for 10 minutes. Stir and bake for another 8-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately transfer contents to a container. Let cool and enjoy!

*Granola should be kept in a covered container at room temperature. It will last for a week.*

Chocolate Chip Cookies

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

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Chocolate Chip cookies

Happy Wednesday everyone! Anyone need a pick-me-up to get you through the rest of the week? I do, so I think today calls for something sweet, easy and delicious. Of course, it will include chocolate because chocolate makes everything better.

There’s nothing fancy here – just a basic chunk of happiness in the form of a chocolate chip cookie. Recipe follows below.

Enjoy! Until next time . . . just love, Collette

Recipe:

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter or margarine softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional – I usually prefer pecans but walnuts are good, too)
  • 1 package semisweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in nuts and chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet.

Dark Chocolate Bark

27 Friday Jan 2017

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Happy Friday everyone!

Today I thought I’d satisfy my chocolate craving with a super easy dark chocolate bark recipe.

As with most recipes, I encourage you to play with it and make it your own. Add dried fruit, peppermint candy pieces, sprinkle with cinnamon – whatever!

I prefer the basic bark with nuts. In this batch I used almonds, but I’ve also made it with pecans.

Recipe and pic follow.

Enjoy! Until next time . . . just love, Collette

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Recipe:

  • 1 pound dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups roasted whole almonds
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a knife, finely chop the chocolate. In a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, heat the chopped chocolate, stirring occasionally, until it is almost melted. Do not let the bowl touch the water. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and the temperature registers 90 degrees on a candy thermometer. If the chocolate has not melted completely and is still too cool, set it over the saucepan for 1-2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Do not overheat.
  2. Stir the almonds into the chocolate and spread onto the prepared baking sheet in a 1/2 inch thick layer, making sure the nuts are completely covered in chocolate. Refrigerate the bark for about 10 minutes, until hardened. It can refrigerate longer if necessary. Invert the bark onto a work surface. Remove the parchment paper, break into pieces and store or serve. *The broken bark can be stored in an airtight bag or container at cool room temperature for up to 10 days.*