Granola

I haven't blogged in so long I don't know where to start. So I'll just post a recipe instead.

Foster's Homemade Granola
2 Cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 C. shredded sweetened coconut
1 C. sliced almonds
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 C. canola oil
3/4 C. maple syrup
1/4 C. honey
1/2 C. dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 C. dried apricots, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 275.
2. Spread oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet with sides. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are lightly toasted but not yet golden. Transfer the ingredients to a large bowl.
3. Increase oven temperature to 350. Lightly grease the baking sheet.
4. Stir the maple syrup, oil, and honey together in a small bowl, pour over the oats, nuts and coconut, and toss to coat evenly. Spread granola onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the granola is just crispy and golden brown, stirring several times while baking. Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps while it's still warm.
5. When the granola has cooled completely, add the cherries and dried apricots and toss to mix.

From Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster. Soooo good. Racoons like it too.

That wasn't too hard. Here goes another recipe:

Chocolate-chocolate chunk cookies
11 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 C. packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
1 C. chopped toasted hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets.
Melt 8 ounces of chocolate with the butter. Remove from heat.
Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt over mixture and whisk until bleded. Stir in the remaining 3 ounces chopped chocolate and nuts.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until tops are slighlty cracked and surface has dull sheen. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.