Cinnamon Maple Granola

A Parker summertime tradition, homemade granola. My husband’s favorite is cinnamon, my favorite is dark chocolate peanut. It’s great for snacking, eating as cereal with milk, or sprinkled on yogurt or ice cream (especially delicious on homemade ice cream!). You can follow the basic recipe and make it your own by adding your favorite ingredients.

 

5 cups rice krispies
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup rough chopped walnuts
2 cups raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup craisins
3 Tbl cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.  In large bowl, mix together rice krispies, oats, walnuts, raisins, coconut, dates, craisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together.  Add maple syrup, salt, and vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined.  Spread out evenly on two cookie sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake for 8 minutes, remove and gently stir and spread out again.  Bake another 8 minutes, remove, gently stir and spread out again.  Bake 8 minutes more.  Remove and cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

More Granola!

 

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Coconut Lemon Mini Cupcakes

These little babies were well received at Book Club and work. So light, they couldn’t possibly have too many calories or be bad for you!

Coconut Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 cup coconut, processed in food processor
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1½ cups coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350° and put mini cupcake papers in mini cupcake pan. With electric mixer, mix cake mix, coconut, eggs, oil, and coconut milk for 2 minutes. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake 15-18 minutes, until top is set and springs bake when touched. Cool completely before frosting.
Makes approx. 48 mini cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1 lemon, finely zest and squeeze juice
2-3 Tbl cream
yellow food color
coconut

Beat butter with electric mixer for 5 minutes until creamy lighter in color. Add powdered sugar, zest. Add enough food color, cream and juice to make desired color, consistency and taste. Pipe onto completely cool cupcakes, and dip frosted top of cupcake in bowl of coconut.

Creamy Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

A little twist for your chocolate chip cookie craving.

Chocolate Chip Dough:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1½ cups chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Coconut Center:
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. Make chocolate chip cookie dough; with electric mixer cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in chocolate chips. Make cream cheese coconut center; with electric mixer, mix cream cheese and sugar. Mix in egg. Stir in coconut. In a 9×13 pan, press 1/2 the chocolate chip cookie dough evenly in bottom. Spread cream cheese coconut mixture evenly over cookie dough. Pinch and sprinkle small pieces of remaining cookie dough evenly over cream cheese layer, gently spreading with finger tips to make top layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes (cover with tent of foil last 10 minutes if getting too brown). Cool then refrigerate until cold and set. Cut into bars.

Graham Cracker Coconut Bars

Just five ingredients and you have Graham Cracker Coconut Bars, YUM!

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups shredded coconut
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate candy bars

Preheat oven to 400°. Line 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. In a bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs and coconut. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and melted butter, stir until well combined. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes, just until edges are barely starting to turn golden. Remove and cool completely. Melt milk chocolate bars (can use  1 cup milk chocolate chips) slowly in microwave until just melted and smooth. Spread evenly over cooled bars. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Chill until chocolate is set. Holding edges of foil, remove bars from pan onto cutting board. Peel back foil from sides and cut into bars.

Chocolate Nutella Granola

Is granola still healthy if you add Nutella and chocolate chips? All the healthy elements are still there so let’s say yes! We love to eat it by the handful, yesterday we had it with vanilla yogurt and berries, and today I added banana and vanilla almond milk and had the most delicious lunch.

5 cups crispy rice cereal
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup rough chopped pecans
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbl cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. In large bowl, mix together crispy rice cereal, oats, wheat germ, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, dates, dried cranberries, and cinnamon. In saucepan, melt butter, Nutella, and brown sugar together. Add maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread out evenly on two cookie sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 8 minutes, remove and gently stir and spread out again. Bake another 8 minutes, remove, gently stir and spread out again. Bake 8 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in airtight container. Eat as a snack, in a bowl with milk or on top of ice cream, yogurt, you decide.

Cranberry Almond Energy Bites

These yummy little babies can be found in our refrigerator to grab anytime you need a little pick me up. Quite often, a couple of these energy bites are my breakfast. Thanks to our daughter for getting us hooked on this healthy snack.

2 cups old fashioned oats
2/3 cup chopped almonds
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1 Tbl chia seeds
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, hand mixer works well. Form into balls (I make mine small, using my 1½” cookie scoop). Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe makes approx 48 – 1½” diameter energy bites, approx 86 calories per bite. Original recipe found at thecreativebite.com.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Fudge Bars

I combined a couple of my favorite recipes today, yummy!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Base & Topping
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2¹/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut

Fudge Filling
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. With electric mixer, in large bowl cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in mini chocolate chips and coconut. Press 3/4 of dough into sprayed 15″x10″ baking sheet pan (I use my fingers sprayed with nonstick spray). Set aside and prepare the fudge filling.

In a small saucepan, stir together sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Heat over low to medium-low heat just until chips are melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and walnuts. Mixture will be thick. Drop by spoonfuls over dough in pan. Evenly spread fudge filling over entire dough surface. Using your hands sprayed with nonstick spray, drop remaining 1/4 chocolate chip coconut dough by little bits evenly over surface of the fudge filling. Press down just a little to flatten dough bits. Bake 25 minutes. Remove and cool completely to cut into clean squares. Oh course, cut and eat sooner if you can’t wait!

Crustless Coconut Custard Pie

So easy and delicious. A quick dessert to make for pop-in guests or add to your holiday menu.

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1½ cups water
1/3 cup baking mix (Bisquick or the like)
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
1½ tsp vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. In blender, combine sweetened condensed milk, water, baking mix, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Blend on low speed 3 minutes. Pour into sprayed 9″ deep dish or 10″ pie plate; let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle coconut evenly over top. Bake 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted near edge comes out clean (will still be a bit jiggly in the center but firms up as it cools). Serve warm or cooled. A big dollop of sweet whipped cream on top would be great! Refrigerate leftovers.

One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Brownie Pie

Two Years Ago: Biscoff Cookie Cupcakes

Three Years Ago: Iced Molasses Cookies

Four Years Ago: Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

Brownies Supreme

In my mind and taste buds, these are Brownies Supreme. A mixture of dark chocolate, chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. What is your idea of a supreme brownie?

Brownies:
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1½ cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13″x9″ baking pan with foil (leaving overhang on each end) and lightly spray with non stick spray. In large bowl, stirring by hand, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time. Add flour, cocoa, dark cocoa, and salt; mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Toward the end of brownie baking time, start preparing frosting.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

In saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, evaporated milk, and sugar to boil. Boil for about 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Pour and spread over cake as it comes from the oven. Cool completely, remove from pan to cutting board using foil overhang. Carefully peel foil away from sides and bottom of brownies and cut into squares.

One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies

Two Years Ago: Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats

Three Years Ago: Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

Four Years Ago: Brownie Cookies w/Toffee

Sweet Chex Mix

I am revisiting this recipe because it is such a favorite! This time adding a couple more ingredients. Warning, once you start eating, you may not be able to stop.

7 cups Rice Chex cereal
5 cups Golden Grahams cereal
1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
1½ cups honey roasted peanuts
1 cup sliced almonds
1 (5 oz) can chow mein noodles
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Colored Sprinkles (optional)
M&M candies (optional)

In large bowl, stir together Rice Chex, Golden Grahams, coconut, peanuts, almonds, and chow mein noodles. In saucepan over medium heat, stir together butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Bring mixture to boil and continue cooking to”soft ball” stage…about 235° on candy thermometer. Pour hot syrup over cereal mixture in thin stream in stages. After each addition of syrup, gently fold and stir until all ingredients are well coated. If you want to add sprinkles, M&Ms, or other candies continue stirring until cooled enough to add and not to melt. Spread mixture out onto silpat lined baking sheet to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

One Year Ago: Biscoff Brownies

Two Years Ago: Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn

Three Years Ago: Coconut Toffee Ricotta Cheese Cake