Today is January the 11th. 11 days into 2013. And just how are ya doing on your resolutions? If you are anything like me, you need to remove the cookie from your hand to even respond to that question. A cleanse is necessary, but in the meantime why not make some of this New Year’s Resolution Granola. It’s healthy, hearty and promises to not increase your waist line!
I’ve been making my own granola for as long as I can remember. It’s only about a million times better than store bought plus you know exactly what is in. The secret to having large clusters of granola is one simple ingredient: egg whites. This binder helps get big clumps of chewy oats and nuts and leaves out all the calories.
Gather all of the ingredients.
In a large bowl combine 3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 cup of shredded or flaked coconut, 1 cup chopped mixed nuts {I used almonds, walnuts and pecans}, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 3/4 cup maple syrup. Mix to combine.
In a separate bowl whisk up 1 large egg white until frothy and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir into the mixture until all of the ingredients are evenly coated.
Place granola on a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, remove the baking sheet and carefully use a spatula to turn the sections of granola over. When the pan is evenly browned and the oats feel dry to the touch remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Toss with 1 cup of dried fruit {if desired} and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
It’s 2013. Did you celebrate with lots of bubbly on Monday night? Do you perchance have a bottle or two leftover?I highly recommend whipping up a batch of these Champagne popsicles. They are so fruity and delicious and load of fun to eat {especially when you dip them into a glass of champagne as an extra bonus}. They are a great way to kick off the first weekend of the year!
Gather all of the ingredients.
In an electric food chopper or processor pulse 1 1/4 pounds of fresh strawberries.
In a separate microwaveable bowl mix together 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup os sugar. Place in microwave and heat on high speed for 2 minutes. Mix to combine. Add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 cup of champagne {you can make this virgin by adding in 1 cup of sparkling juice}.
Pour into ice molds and freeze for 4 hours or until frozen.
Yes, you read that correctly. This is a chocolate chip cookie cake. So much better than the old school ones you might remember from the mall food court. Sooooo much better! It is 12 layers of chocolate chip cookie {baked super-duper thin} with a thin layer of vanilla butter cream spread between each layer. I die!
To make this cake you will need to make a batch of your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough {I like to use this one}. Make sure to use mini chocolate chips instead of regular sized ones.
Place a large scoop {approximately 3.25 ounces to be exact, which can be achieved using a large ice cream scoop} on a piece of parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Place another piece of sprayed parchment paper on top. Roll out your dough into a circular shape that is about the thickness of the mini chocolate chips. The cookie will be ultra thin. Bake each cookie separately. Yes, it is time consuming, but well worth it. Bake according to your cookie dough’s instructions {mine baked at 350 F for 8 – 9 minutes} until golden brown.
Repeat this step with the remaining dough until you have baked 12 cookies. Double ovens are a plus here!
Let the cookies cool completely. Once cool, place the first cookie down; put a scoop of butter cream icing on top of the cookie and spread evenly. {I used this butter cream recipe} Repeat this step with the remaining 11 cookies.
* The cookies will slightly soften with the butter cream, so if you allow the cake to sit overnight it will be easier to slice *
