Fix, Freeze, Feast - Kati Neville [58]
2 cups untoasted sesame seeds
2 cups raw hulled sunflower seeds
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups wheat germ
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups honey
cup water
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons salt
8 one-quart freezer bags, labeled
1. Mix oats, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, wheat germ, raisins, cranberries, flour, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Combine oil, honey, water, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sauce begins to boil. Remove from heat. Pour sauce over the oat mixture and mix well.
3. Divide granola evenly among the freezer bags.
4. Seal and freeze.
TO BAKE ONE PACKAGE
1. Preheat the oven to 275ºF.
2. Place frozen granola on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Cool and store in an airtight container.
NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST
Although we most often eat granola in the morning with milk, it’s also delicious eaten as a snack—sprinkle over yogurt or ice cream, or just eat by the handful!
My friend Renée, who has a relatively large family, created this recipe for those times when she needed something quick but nutritious for breakfast. I have modified her recipe, but I kept her main goal in mind: to create a breakfast cookie that was both nutritious and tasty. —LT
PB&J BREAKFAST COOKIES
MAKES ABOUT 32 COOKIES
1½ cups natural peanut butter
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup apricot jam, preferably no sugar added
¼ cup molasses
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1 cup instant dry milk powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Wax paper
4 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Combine peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, jam, molasses, eggs, and vanilla in a food processor or by hand in a large bowl. Mix oats, flour, sunflower seeds, dry milk, baking soda, and salt in a separate large bowl. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients; mix well.
3. Scoop dough with a ¼-cup measure and place several inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. With your fingers or the back of a spoon, shape into 1-inch-thick patties. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; transfer to a cooling rack. Divide cooled cookies evenly among freezer bags, separating layers with wax paper.
4. Seal and freeze.
TO ENJOY
Remove desired number of cookies from freezer; thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
BAKE BEFORE FREEZING?
Unlike our sweet-cookie recipes, we like to bake these before freezing so they’re easy to grab in the morning. The dough does freeze well though, so if you prefer, freeze the dough as described in the cookie recipes beginning on page 203.
Like most children, my kids are nuts about the zoo. This snack mix has all the right stuff: peanuts for the little elephants, banana chips for the little monkeys, mango for the little bats, and berries for the birds. Each ingredient helps reinforce the wonder and fun of acting like our creature friends. Add to the fun by personalizing the snack bags to reflect the foods eaten by the animals at a zoo you frequent. Each snack bag holds enough for two children to share. —KN
ZOO DAY SNACK MIX
MAKES 6 SNACK BAGS
3 CUPS ANIMAL CRACKERS (6 OUNCES)
1½ cups banana chips (6 ounces)
12 tablespoons chopped dried mango (6 ounces)
12 tablespoons lightly salted peanuts (6 ounces)
12 tablespoons dried berries or raisins (6 ounces)
6 snack or sandwich bags
1 one-gallon freezer bag, labeled
1. Into each snack bag, place ½ cup animal crackers, ¼ cup banana chips, 2 tablespoons mangoes, 2 tablespoons peanuts, and 2 tablespoons berries. Seal bags and gently shake to combine ingredients; place snack bags in the 1-gallon freezer bag.
2. Seal and freeze.
TO ENJOY
Thaw the desired number of snack bags in the refrigerator.