Sour Cherry Granola
I love this brown-sugary-oatmeal-cookie-like granola! It reminds me of growing up in the Midwest when once as a teen my mother took me to visit an amish town near my hometown in Illinois. The Amish are known for their baked goods and beautiful wood furniture made with no electrical tools. I bought an oatmeal cookie at one of the amish bakeries. It was the most delicious cookie I had ever tasted, then and since, until this granola! I eat it as a snack by the handful or sprinkle it generously on raw coconut yogurt topped with fresh berries for a beautiful and yummy parfait! (recipe to come!)
Have fun creating your own flavor variations using this base recipe. I’ve listed a couple of my favorites below. While this is a simple recipe, the process is as important as the ingredients, so I encourage you to take a moment to read the recipes from start to finish, note the recipe breaks, gather your mise en place and then begin. I promise it will be a much more zen creative experience. PS: I also suggest a double batch! It’s so good it goes fast!
Sour Cherry Grawnola
Granola
1 C golden raisins
1 C. dried turkish apricots
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1Tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ground ginger
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1 C. almonds, soaked 8 hrs.
½ C. brazil nuts, rinsed only
½ C. macadamia nuts, rinsed only
½ C; sprouted buckwheat groats
½ C. sunflower seeds 6-8 hrs.
½ C. diced apple
1 C. dried sour cherries or bing cherries
Process
In a food Processor mix the dried fruit until it forms into a ball.
Add extracts, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and zest to food processor and process until combined.
Place the fruit and spice ball in a large mixing bowl.
Process nuts into small chunks.
Add nuts, seeds and fruit to mixing bowl and combine by hand. You might prefer wearing powder free disposable gloves.
Add additional nuts, seeds or almond meal if mixture is too loose.
Spread granola mixture in small handfuls on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 24 hours or until crunchy.
Flavors Options:
Blueberry Granola
Replace cherries with 1 C. dried blueberries
Replace brazil nuts and macadamia nuts with 1 ½ C. pecans, soaked 8 hrs.
Replace ginger and nutmeg with1 tsp. cinnamon
Replace almond extract with 1 tsp. vanilla
Superfood Granola
Replace dried blueberries with 1 C. mixed dried goji berries, golden berries, mulberries, raspberries, blackberries or cranberries
Add 1 tsp. maca
Add 2 tsp. mesquite
Add 1 Tbsp. hemp seeds
Add ½ C. cacao nib
