The Farm Chicks

Crunchy Granola

It's peach season here, which means it's time for me to whip up a big batch of Crunchy Granola. A bowl of fresh, juicy peach slices, topped with granola and drizzled in cream is out of this world. (This recipe is from my first book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen).

Granola

6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

2 cups pecan halves

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 325 degrees farenheit. Combine the oats, coconut, and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Combine the oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until smooth. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until well combined.

Line a large shallow baking pan with foil. Spread the mixture in the pan. Bake until browned - about 50 minutes - stirring every 10 minutes with a large spatula. Cool in the pan on a wire rack; then stir once more. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Sources:

Scoop: Vintage (purchased at The Vintage Rabbit)

Jar: Target

Bowls: Daiso

Image: John Granen, from my book: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. To purchase, click here.

P.S. If you already have a copy of the book, I'd love it if you could provide a review here.

Gingerbread Eggnog Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Looking for an impromptu treat when friends drop in?  My Gingerbread Eggnog Ice-Cream sandwiches are just the ticket!

Start with some thin store-bought gingerbread cookies

and some slightly softened eggnog ice-cream.

Dollop ice-cream onto bottom cookie and spread around, to cover.

Press down top cookie atop ice-cream.  Smooth around edges and place in the freezer to harden.

Serve when hardened or wrap individually, with plastic wrap and serve as needed.  The cookies will soften just like a traditional ice-cream sandwich if stored in the freezer overnight.

The combination of gingerbread and eggnog is delicious, but any flavor of your choosing would work wonderfully.  It's your treat, so you decide!

Images by the super wonderful, Samantha Cabrera.

Sweetie Pies

I've always loved using pie crust to make delicious treats and these are a favorite, for sure!

To begin, prepare your favorite pie crust.  Roll it out in thin strips to cut with a heart cookie cutter:

Add a dollop of seedless raspberry jam to the center of each heart:

Moisten the edge of the heart with water, all around, and cover with another heart cut-out:

Softly press top edge down onto bottom edge, forming a seal, and press sealed edges together with fork tines, all around:

Prick center of each little pie with fork tines and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned:

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature:

Sweetie Pies make the perfect little homemade Valentine treat:

Or, you can dust them with powdered sugar:

And keep them on hand for a tasty little snack...

But you better act quick!  They're so yummy that they'll be going..going...

Gone!

Sources:

The Sweetie Pie tag is from my Valentine Tag Collection, available on my website.

The polka-dot food safe tissue paper is from The Container Store.

The tiny heart treat box is from Martha Stewart.

Applesauce Donuts

It's apple harvest time here, which makes me want to spend all day in the kitchen, tinkering away on possible recipes.  These donuts were a recent creation that my family fell in love with right away.  Imagine a cake donut, but tastier, with the added moisture of applesauce and a deliciously spicy flavor.

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 Tablespoons sour cream

2 Tablespoons melted butter

2 eggs, well beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

4 1/4 cups flour

 

Combine sugar, applesauce, sour cream, and butter together in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in beaten eggs, until all combined.  Add all remaining ingredients, and stir until mixture is completely combined.  (The mixture will be thick).  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Remove dough from refrigerator and turn out onto a really well floured counter.  Roll out dough to 1/2" thick and cut into donut-sized circles, with a hole in the center.  (Since I don't have a donut cutter, I used a circle cookie cutter, and for the center - the bottom of a large pastry decorating tip.)

Fill a saucepan with vegetable oil or shortening and heat over medium-high heat until oil is hot for deep frying.  Cook 1-2 donuts at a time, depending on the size of the pan, turning once the bottoms are deeply golden browned.  Once both sides are browned, remove from oil, and drain on a cooling rack, with paper towels underneath.  Once donuts are slightly cooled, dredge each in the Cinnamon/Sugar coating.  (recipe below).

 

Cinnamon/Sugar Coating

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Makes approximately 20 donuts.