I forget how easy cookies are to make.
Velvety chocolate. Oh so divine.
I'm learning that the process to making granola is an art form. There's a lot of free form involved, and also, a lot of boiling, coating and mixing. And a lot of patience. For example, you can add whatever you like--oatmeal, flaxseed meal, vanilla, honey, molases, brown sugar. Whatever you have in hand, really. This time the added goodies were sunflower seeds and leftover dried persimmons my mom got for me from the Alhambra farmers' market. Once the wet ingredients have been boiled, you pour the hot concoction over your dry ingredients (leaving out dried fruits for last.)
With a spatula or what your mama gave you, your hands, mix each little grain, seed and morsel to ensure that it's well coated. Lay out a piece of foil on a baking tray and spread out an even coat. This is where discipline and patience come in. It helps to take out the granola every ten minutes and stir it up so that the other half gets even baking time on top. You have to be quick and smooth so that you get the granola back in the oven. I do this about four times and without burning the granola (keep in mind, it'll still be soft), you're done. The granola will get crispy on its own for about twenty minutes out of the oven. Scoop some yogurt with a generous helping of fresh blueberries and homemade granola, and voila!
* I loosely based my granola on this recipe. I cut everything in half (and it still makes tons). Don't feel intimidated by the ingredients. Wheat germ, oat bran, pistachios and almonds weren't in the pantry and I still did alright. I replaced the vegetable oil with half a stick of butter and instead of using sugar, oil and maple syrup, I used brown sugar, honey and a little molases. This is one of those recipes you change and perfect over time.
I asked my boss if he tried some of the triple chocolate cookies I brought in to work, and he remarked sarcastically, that he was a bit overwhelmed by all the chocolate (having not even tried them!).
This is the creation of an early Christmas present to myself. Drum roll please... a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer. Ta-da! I've always wanted one. The big machine just looks so cool. And it made this Black Forest Gâteaux. The stand mixer does wonders you would not believe. Like making whipped cream. No more losing half my arm trying to whisk cream into fluff when this sweet machine can do it in less than a minute and without breaking a sweat. Perfect timing for all the holiday baking, and oh so hot in candy-apple red.
Making breakfast with B is one of my favorite things to look forward to on weekend mornings. We usually go for a morning run along the Embarcadero and then cook up a storm.
This time we skipped out on the running and made a trip to the local grocer for some last minute ingredients. French toast a la mangos (after a sample taste, we had to get some in spite of the high price..3 for $9.99 is ridiculous, just sayin'). This is a bite of breakfast made to perfection. Thick slices of few-days-old La Boulange's rustic walnut baguette soaked in a batter of eggs, soymilk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and fresh orange zest ready to sizzle on the hot stove. Slice up a banana and drizzle some homemade pecan caramel on top, and you'll feel pretty good about having gotten out of bed on a rainy Sunday morning. I did.
*B took this photo of me plating a new dish for the blog. I've been inspired by the gourmet look after exhausting "The Next Iron Chef" and "Pasta," which I have only two episodes left to watch!
