Granola Girl bakes – Page 4 – Delightfully Delicious Recipes

Homemade Marshmallows! { no corn-syrup? no problem! :) }

The Granola Girl
Dessert, drink
Dec 7, 2013
12 Comments

I started searching frantically for a homemade marshmallow recipe last year that didn’t take corn-syrup and preferably didn’t use refined white sugar! I tried and failed more than a few recipes and was on the verge of giving up…. THEN my favorite food blogger, Sarah, posted a recipe! Homemade Marshmallows made simple, sweet, and {happy day!} cor-syrup & refined sugar FREE! It was almost as if she was reading my mind. 😉 I have since made her marshmallow recipe over a dozen times and it hasn’t failed me. Only change made is pure maple syrup instead of agave nectar as we don’t keep agave nectar on hand! White fluffy shares of delightfully goodness. On Hot cocoa, in a s’more, or by themselves, you won’t be able to stop eating them! 😉

Recipe credits: Sarah // CheffingIt

Yields 9×9 inch pan

3 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1/2 c. water
2 c. organic cane sugar
2/3 c. organic agave nectar
1/4 c. water
2 t. ground cardamom
1/4 t. salt
powdered sugar

Preparation – oil plastic wrap and use it to cover a 9×9 square cake pan. (Double the recipe for a 9×13 pan.) I found the easiest way to do this is to lay the wrap on a flat surface, rub the oil in your hands, then onto the wrap, making sure to coat every bit that might hold marshmallow. Lastly, place the wrap over the pan. Don’t worry about getting the plastic wrap in the corners. The marshmallow will help with that. Oil one more sheet to place over the top and set aside.
Combine gelatin and 1/2 c. water in mixer bowl and let sit for a few minutes.
Mix sugar, agave, 1/4 c. water and cardamom in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil one minute.
Start the mixer and beat on low as you slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the bowl of gelatin. Add salt, drape a towel over the mixer to catch any drips and turn to high speed. Beat for 12 minutes.
Using a heavy spatula, scoop the mixture into the waiting pan, pressing into the corners and spreading evenly. Cover with the oiled sheet of plastic wrap and press smoothly over the top.
Let sit for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you make them a day ahead.
Prepare a bowl of powdered sugar. Lift the marshmallow out of the pan onto a flat cutting surface. Dust surface with powdered sugar. Using a large knife, cut into squares, coating in powdered sugar as you go.
Stack in an air tight container and store for up to 3 days.

Pecan Pie { No cornsyrup? No problem! }

The Granola Girl
coffee, Dessert
Nov 30, 2013
1 Comments

Well, I hope y’all enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast immensely! I honestly ate way too much and enjoyed every bite. 😉 We truly have so much to be Thankful for. God is GOOD!

When a pecan pie was requested for our Thanksgiving Dinner a few days prior by my Dad, I very very eagerly offered up my services! I decided to do a “traditional” pecan pie with corn syrup{< and yes, just whispered that word ;)}. You see, we gave up corn syrup a long time ago, striving to bake without it at all costs…. BUT it was thanksgiving and if my pie turned out distasteful due to the fact I didn’t use corn syrup… well, I would never live it down! So, I jotted “corn syrup” on my grocery list. Fast forward to the morning of thanksgiving, I wake up and start my pie only to find I forgot the corn syrup. 😉 I remember I instantly thought, “No worries, by the grace of God, I can make a pecan pie without cornsyrup… and if it tastes bad I will just blame it on the fact I didn’t have corn syrup.” 😉 Well, I can say God is good, and the pie was a HUGE success! A buttery crust, crunchy pecans, and sweetly rich filling baked to golden brown! If your like me, top it off with both ice-cream & freshly whipped cream, then pour a rather large mug of coffee and enjoy! 😉

Yields 1 pie! 🙂

Ingredients

1 cup light brown sugar {packed}
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter {melted}
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tbs dark rum {optional}
1/2 tsp salt
One 9-inch deep dish pie shell {unbaked}
1 cup pecan halves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs until creamy. Add the chopped pecans, melted butter, milk, flour, rum, salt and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Arrange the pecan halves on top of the pie in a circular pattern.
Bake the pie for 55 minutes. Check for doneness by shaking the pan slightly. The pie should be firm with only a slight jiggle in the center!
Serve with vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of whipped cream or if you like me, BOTH!!
Enjoy 🙂

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 107:1

Cherry Almond Biscotti

The Granola Girl
Breads, breakfast, coffee, Dessert, Uncategorized
Nov 27, 2013
4 Comments

Twas the day before thanksgiving and all through the house… there was a lovely aroma of Cherry Almond Biscotti! 😉 Now, I have to admit, I was never a HUGE biscotti fan but when my mom showed me the recipe and asked me to make it I was eager to give it another try. I have to say, I now love Biscotti!! So, I sit here with a lovely cup of coffee and a piece of crunchy sweet biscotti while I post the recipe. 🙂 Makes for a delightful afternoon! The combination of dried cherries & almonds are just perfect! Whether you Dip it in chocolate, or dunk it in coffee, eat it with icecream, or just by itself, y’all are sure to love this biscotti recipe!

Recipe source: Allrecipes

Original recipe makes 32 biscotti

1 3/4 cups dried cherries
1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons white sugar, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Stir dried cherries and amaretto liqueur together in a saucepan over medium heat until the amaretto comes to a simmer; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid for later use.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Beat butter with 1 cup sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat 3 eggs into butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, blending in each egg before adding the next. Stir reserved cherry liquid and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients.
Beat butter with 1 cup sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat 3 eggs into butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, blending in each egg before adding the next. Stir reserved cherry liquid and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients.
Stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time to form a smooth dough. Gently fold cherries and almonds into dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, divide in half, and form each half into a log 12 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Gently press the logs with your fingers to flatten to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Transfer loaves to the prepared baking sheets, brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tablespoon white sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven until the loaves are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer loaves to wire racks and cool for 20 minutes. Use a sharp knife to slice each loaf on the diagonal into 16 pieces. Transfer the biscotti to baking sheets. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Bake in the oven for 8 minutes; flip biscotti and bake until crisp and lightly browned, about 8 more minutes.

Saturday morning danish and a delightful cup of coffee | Church & State

The Granola Girl
coffee, food finds
Nov 16, 2013
9 Comments

Well y’all know how much I love finding new companies that offer a superb product{And of course, I blog about them}! Whether it comes to the Old German Bakery in Fredricksburg Texas or Slickepott fudge & Caramel or KBR Magazine published by my dear friend in Kansas, or, for today, Church & State Coffee Co., based out of New York! 🙂 Needless to say I have updated my Links I love page. 😉

But it’s not just the supremely delightful roast that sells me on their product or their eye-catching labels, it’s their mission statement! For each pound of coffee you buy, they will donate a portion of their proceeds to a pro-life organization! So far we have tried their brilliantly bold Espresso Ro ast, Smoothly delicious Mexican roast, and today it was their Red Cherry Yirgacheffee Kochere Roast which was superb! So, without further ado, Church & State Coffee Co.!

Danish courtesy of my most talented older sister, Micah! Next to my mom, shes the world’s best baker. 😉

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/78209314 w=560&h=315]

“O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
Psalms 90:14

Pilgrim Pies!

The Granola Girl
Dessert
Nov 10, 2013
9 Comments

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.”
Psalm 84:5

Pilgrim Pies!…… Well, I am pretty sure the pilgrims never tasted these before! 😉 It has become a tradition that I make these at least once around Thanksgiving and then I blog about them! 🙂 So, today was the day. I spotted that delightful can of organic pumpkin in the pantry that I had been saving for this very occasion, my grandpa was here to visits, and we needed a dessert!! Decadent cream cheese frosting sandwiched between two delightfully spicy pumpkin cookies! Doesn’t get much better in the pumpkin realm than this! 😉

Original Recipe Yield 12-15 “pies”

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 (15oz) can Pumpkin
3 cups flour
1tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Filling

4 oz cream cheese – softened
1/2 cup butter – softened
2tsp vanilla
4-5 cups powder sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees .
Beat eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and pumpkin in large bowl. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, soda, powder, and salt until well combine.
Using an ice cream scoop(my favorite kitchen tool) or large spoon, spoon 1/4 cup dollops onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Let cool on tray for 5 minutes then remove from tray and let cool completely on parchment.
Prepare filling. Combine all filling ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth and fluffy!
Pipe filling onto 1 cookie and top with the second cookie. Continue with remaining cookies!
Brew an extremely large pot of coffee and enjoy!

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes

The Granola Girl
cupcakes, Dessert
Oct 19, 2013
9 Comments

It’s eggnog season! 🙂 If your like me, you anticipate this season, hoping the stores see the need to stock their shelves with the creamy spicy goodness a few weeks early. And when the day finally arrives and the eggnog is lining the shelves, you buy near a gallon! 😉 Best brand I have tasted by far is Promise Land!! Seriously delicious. 🙂

So this morning I woke up to near freezing temperatures, the air was crisp, the sun was shining, and it finally and truly felt like FALL! Plus, I was super hungry and couldn’t think of anything I would rather do this fine day than bake. 🙂 So, I set out to create a recipe I had been thinking about for a few days, Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes!! An added plus was I was kid-sitting 2 little ladies who just happen to have way more energy than I do! So they both lent an overly helpful hand. 😉 A spicy pound-cake baked to golden perfection, a bit of buttery caramel, then a rather decadent eggnog cream cheese icing tops it off, but don’t forget to sprinkle the nutmeg & cinnamon and add a caramel drizzle to complete this mouth-watering cupcake! Truly, one bite will have you saying “now that’s fall!” 😉

Yields 24 decadent cupcakes! 🙂

Cake Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup eggnog

Eggnog Icing Ingredients

1 cup salted butter {softened}
1 8oz softened cream cheese
1/3 cup eggnog
1 tbs vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 pkg {7 cups} powdered sugar

Line 24 muffin cups with liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; add flour mixture to egg mixture alternating the eggnog, and beginning and ending with the flour.
Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on wire rack.
Meanwhile prepare the icing! Place all icing ingredients in large mixing bowl, beat(starting on slow speed and working your way up to med-high speed) until fluffy(about 4-5 minutes!)
Spread about 1tbs caramel on top of cooled cupcakes. Then pipe on icing, sprinkled with a bit of nutmeg & caramel, and finish with a delightful caramel drizzle!
Enjoy!!

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near”
Isaiah 55:6

How about a Pumpkin Spice Latte? :)

The Granola Girl
coffee
Sep 25, 2013
0 Comments

Fall is here!! Whats not to love about this beautiful season? 🙂 And though the temperatures nearing 100°F, I figured it was time for a Pumpkin Spice Latte to officially start off the Autumn season! 😉 Homemade pumpkin milk, delightfully buttery caramel, and, yes, freshly whipped cream{sweetened with maple, of course!} come together to create a grand combination! Add a few friends and you have a lovely coffee break. 🙂 Happy Fall!

Yields 1 lovely Latte 🙂

Ingredients

Your favorite mug!
1/4 cup organic milk{may want more or less}
1/3 cup pumpkin milk {recipe here!!!}
2 shots strong espresso
1 tbsp raw sugar
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream
Caramel for drizzling{recipe here}

Grab you favorite mug and pour in espresso. Add raw sugar & vanilla!
Combine regular milk and pumpkin milk then froth{or heat}.
Pour over espresso, top with whipped cream and lots of Caramel.
ENJOY!

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Raspberry Trifles!

The Granola Girl
Dessert, Fresh Fruit
Sep 7, 2013
5 Comments

Summer has almost come to an end! Can you believe it?! But it’s not gone yet and seeing I still have 2 weeks left until I have to officially say “goodbye” to summer I decided to make a summer favorite! Raspberry Trifles. 🙂 Well, these are a summer/fall/winter/spring favorite, really! Freshly baked pound cake, super tart raspberries, a hint of lemon, sweet cream-cheese filling, and freshly whipped cream{sweetened with maple ’cause it doesn’t get much better than pure maple!} makes for a rather delightful combination that will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth! 🙂

Note: I used pure maple to sweeten the cream but you can definitely use regular powder sugar! Both will work. (:

Yields 8 mugs or 1 larger trifle dish!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup pure maple{or powdered sugar!}
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 8oz packages creamcheese{softened!}
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar

1 pound cake
10 oz frozen raspberries{thawed and drained BUT reserve juice!}
cocoa powder for dusting!

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat cream with 1/4 cup maple or sugar until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar. Fold 2 cups of whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Reserve remaining whipped cream.
Cube pound cake into 18 – 1/2 inch slices. Drain raspberries, reserving juice. Line the bottom of a 3 quart glass bowl or trifle bowl with one-third of the cake slices. If using mugs do the same but on a smaller scale. 🙂 Drizzle with some raspberry juice, then spread one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture over cake. Sift one-fourth of the cocoa over that. Sprinkle with one-third of the raspberries. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture, whipped cream and sifted cocoa. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour but best when you let the set overnight!
Grab a cup of coffee and about 7 or so good friends. ENJOY!! 🙂

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/73992460 w=560&h=315]

Caramel Pecan Crumb Peaches à la mode

The Granola Girl
Dessert, Fresh Fruit
Aug 22, 2013
9 Comments

I have been dreaming up this recipe for about 10.5 months now! 😉 Just waiting for peach season to start in Texas and then free time to concoct the recipe! So it happened today that I had an early morning photo shoot and then I took the rest of the afternoon off to “kid-sit” while my parents went to an appointment. 5 kiddos under 12, Lunch on and off, cleaned up, then a diaper change, get cups of water, and it’s NAP TIME or what we call “quiet time”! 🙂 I set their timer for 1 hour and then thought, “why not see if I can’t create the recipe in this 1 hour?” Challenging? For me, yes! 🙂 If I take pictures of my baking, it takes about twice as long to bake whatever I am baking but I was up for the challenge!

The recipe I had been dreaming up? A fresh peach halved, drizzled with a delicious caramel, topped with a pecan maple-sweetened crumb topping, baked until soft and golden, and then topped off{while still warm} with a dollop of ice cream and {generous}caramel drizzle! And it just so happened that I have what seems to be{thankfully :)} a “never-ending jar” of slickepott and our extremely generous neighbor blessed us with pecans from her pecan tree. So I was set! 🙂 Yep, it was just as good as I hoped it would be! The great thing about so many siblings is that you only get a taste of whatever you make…. so you unknowingly go on a diet unless you make a dozen and a half of something! This recipe made 2 and once I was finished the kiddos quickly devoured them! 😉

Yields 2 delightfully decadent servings!

Ingredients

1 fresh and perfectly ripened peach
Caramel Sauce {Used slickepott but if you can’t get a jar home-made is second best. 😉 I have a recipe ::here::}
2 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup pecans {chopped}
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees!
Place flour, maple, cinnamon, and salt in bowl. Cut in 2 TBS butter and then stir in nuts! Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
Generously butter a glass baking dish. Half and pit the peach! Drizzle with around 1 tbsp caramel sauce per half. Top both halves with crumb topping and bake for 25 minutes or until crumb is golden and peach soft! You will be able to tell by the smell!! 😉
Allow to cool for 5 minutes then plate! Top with vanilla ice cream and a generous amount of Caramel!
Enjoy!! 🙂

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/72950875 w=560&h=315]

Cinnamon Roll Espresso Cupcakes

The Granola Girl
coffee, Dessert, Uncategorized
Aug 19, 2013
7 Comments

Have I mentioned my family has the ability to consume extremely rich food?! 😉 It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and was FREE for me to get in the kitchen & experiment! The first time in a couple of weeks but what will I make? Dessert for sure! Not really in the mood for a fruity dessert today, perhaps chocolate and caramel but, than again, I have a dessert planned for that combinations that requires a few more ingredients from the grocery store. Then it came to me, Cinnamon Roll Espresso Cupcakes!! 🙂 I know, cupcakes again. But they happen to be my favorite! 🙂 A rather sweet combination of vanilla cake and buttery cinnamon-swirl, with a rather delightful espresso glaze, and top it off with an extremely cream-cheesy icing! Sprinkle a little cinnamon and call it a cupcake! 🙂 My sister said they were “indescribably delicious!” 🙂

Original recipe credits go to bakingdom.com with a few minor tweaks from me.

Yields 24 delicious cupcakes!

Cinnamon SWIRL

1/2 cup butter {melted}
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

FOR THE CUPCAKES

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter{room temperature}
1 cup sour cream
4eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Coffee Icing

4 tbs butter {softened}
2-3 cups powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbs (15 to 30 ml) espresso or rather strong coffee

8oz cream cheese {at room temperature}
1/4 cup butter {at room temperature}
4 cups powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla

To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir all of the ingredients together until combined. Set aside!
To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with cupcake papers!
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl, making sure there are no streaks of flour remaining.
Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter in each of the paper liners in the prepared muffin pan. Make a small well in the middle of each cup of batter with a toothpick, Stir the filling to make sure the butter is combined, then spoon a scant 1 teaspoon of the filling into each cup. Use a toothpick to swirl the filling and batter together.
Add another 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter to each cup and repeat the filling/swirling process.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
To make the icing: In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla until combined. Add the espresso until desired consistency is reached (I only used all 4 tablespoons). For more coffee flavor, add more coffee, but you may need to add additional confectioners’ sugar to keep a good consistency.
Ice the cooled cupcakes with the coffee icing. Allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then pipe on cream cheese icing!
Enjoy!! 🙂

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/72627808 w=560&h=315]