Crazy-Good Chocolate Granola with Cacao Nibs, Almonds, and Cherries

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Hannah

I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my granola mirth.

Don’t get me wrong; I still adore my Spiced Fig, Pepita, and Molasses Granola of Your Dreams, my Jewelled Cranberry and Coconut Granola, and my hyperbolically-best-ever Maple Tahini Coconut Granola.

Last weekend, though, I didn’t want to make any of those granolas. I wanted something new, something vibrant, something deeply enticing that would straddle the fence between A-Bit-Like-Dessert-If-You-Squint and Conventionally-Breakfast-Appropriate.

So I made Chocolate Granola with Cacao Nibs, Almonds, and Cherries. And it was crazy-good.

I researched a few chocolate granola recipes online but didn’t like how they all included actual chocolate in the ingredients. I wanted something deeply chocolate-y but not too sweet, something that made use of earthy, rich cacao nibs and cocoa powder for its flavour.

I wanted oomph, not cloying. I wanted crisp and nutty, not sickly. I wanted sweetness from dried fruit and just a little brown sugar and honey (or agave/maple) to balance the cocoa’s bitter edge. What can I say? I’m a woman of the modern age. I want it all.

I very rarely make chocolate-based treats or desserts. That said, this granola has won my vote and everlasting affection. It’s so very very crispy, so very very moreish, so very very mirth-worthy. Wait, what’s that other Hamlet reference that applies here? Oh, right:

“And then it started like a guilty thing / Upon a fearful summons / Caught eating handfuls of chocolate granola at 11pm in the kitchen.”

Crazy-Good Chocolate Granola with Cacao Nibs and Almonds

3 cups (270g) rolled oats
1 cup (120g) slivered almonds
1/2 cup (60g) sunflower seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup honey (I used Manuka honey, ‘cause I’m fancy like that. Agave or maple work for a vegan version)
1/3 cup canola oil
a few pinches of salt
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
In a large bowl, mix the oats, almonds, sunflower seeds and cacao nibs together. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, honey, oil, and salt. This will make a very, very thick mixture, so don’t fear it. Embrace it.
Mix the wet mix into the dry, stirring vigorously to make sure it’s all mixed through.
Pour the granola mixture onto one or two baking trays, then bake for about an hour, stirring every twenty minutes. (I only had one baking tray so baked the mixture for 1 hour and 20 minutes.)
Stir in the dried fruit and bake for five minutes more, although this part is probably completely unnecessary. You could certainly just stir in the dried fruit and be done. Your call. Also, don’t stress if the granola still seems a little bit wet straight out of the oven; as soon as it cools down, it because stupendously crispy and SO DELICIOUS CAPITALS NECESSARY.

Question Time: Do you have a favourite Shakespeare play? No, Shakespeare In Love doesn’t count. I simply cannot enjoy that movie.

Sending this through to Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox Love.

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Bubble Slice with Jackson Pollock Chocolate Icing

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Hannah

Hello new readers who’ve popped over from my SBS Featured Foodie interview! I do hope you find something to tickle your fancy here. For my regular readers, I’m absolutely honoured to announce that SBS has chosen me to be their Featured Foodie for the next few weeks. (There may or may not have been dancing in the office when SBS first contacted me.) My interview is available here, if you’d like to read it. Heel-click!

There are things in this world that aren’t entirely fantastic.

Like when your legs decide they’ve walked up enough stairs, and you spend three minutes struggling to unlock your front door (even stamping your foot in frustration at one point), before realising that you’re trying to break into the apartment below yours.

Like turning and fleeing up the stairwell whilst hearing the real owners open their door from inside, clearly wondering what in crikey is going on.

Like the cold feeling of doom that hits because you’re wearing heels and making loud clip-clop noises all the way up the stairs, and your victims will definitely know that it was you trying to break in because the only other person on your floor is Mr Stinky Never Washes, and he never wears high heels. (At least not in public.)

Luckily, there are also things in this world that are unequivocally brilliant.

Like going to see the devastatingly-talented Andy’s final concert for his Honours examinations, and swooning over the music he creates at the piano.

Like cheering and whooping when he receives First Class Honours, and deciding to make him a (dairy-free and gluten-free) Peanut Butter Bubble Slice in the shape of a number one to celebrate his incredible achievement.

Like trying to decorate prettily the edible peanut buttery number one with melted dark chocolate, but instead creating something that looks like it was iced by Jackson Pollock being attacked by a swarm of bees.

Like sneaking two “A”s for Andy into the dark chocolate squiggles so that you can pretend the chocolate mess was your intention all along.

Like eating enough of the leftover slice to know it was darn-tootin’-tasty regardless of its appearance, and hearing later from Andy that he absolutely loved it too.

Like friendship and deliciousness and music and happiness all rolled into One.

You’re Number One! Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Bubble Slice with Jackson Pollock Chocolate Icing

Adapted from Karina’s Kitchen
(Measurements are a bit funny because I halved Karina’s recipe; this made roughly enough to fill a 20cm [8 inch] square tin.)

1/2 cup plus 2 tb (155g) honey (for a vegan version, use brown rice syrup)
1/3 cup plus 2 tsp (95g) peanut butter
1 tb coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups (90g) Gluten-Free Rice Bubbles
dark chocolate, melted, to drizzle (optional) (not really) (since when is chocolate optional?) (exactly) (I win)

Line a 20cm (8 inch) square tin with baking paper, extending the paper over two sides. Or, if you’re planning to sculpt the peanut buttery goodness into a You’re Number One-style creation, prepare two tins. One for the sculpting, one for the leftovers. But I digress.
Place the honey, peanut butter, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a large microwave-safe bowl and cook for 2 minutes on medium, stir, then cook for another 2 minutes until the mixture is starting to bubble. If needed, do another 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the oven and then stir for another 30 seconds or so until the mixture is smooth and thick (trust me, it will thicken).
Stir in the Rice Bubbles and then pour and pat into your prepared tin, before storing in the fridge or freezer. Cut before serving.
If you want to shape half of the mixture into a symbol representative of the awesomeness of the person for whom you’re make the deliciousness, then I say forward ho, lasses and laddies! Forward ho!
Melt chocolate and drizzle over the finished product for additional happiness. Bonus points if you follow in my five-year-old Jackson Pollock-esque footsteps.

I’m submitting this to Ricki’s Wellness Weekend and Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox Love.

Oreo-Topped Peanut Butter Fudge, Easily Vegan

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Hannah

Yo, Melbourne Posts. I’m really happy for you, and Imma let you finish but this oreo-topped peanut butter fudge is one of the sweetest recipes of all time. One of the sweetest recipes of all time!
- Hannye T-West

Hi folks! I promise I’ll get right back to reliving my Melbourne escapades for you after this post, but I wanted to quickly give you a recipe for something so sweet that your face might squint up in shock before dissolving into pleasure, just like the sugary morsel in your mouth will dissolve into peanut butter-y Oreo-tinted goodness.

I should probably be honest with you and tell you that I made these several weeks ago for my father for Christmas.

However, I kept some of this oreo-topped peanut butter fudge for myself and, because it freezes beautifully, I know for a fact that it’s a lovely treat when you’ve returned from a blissfully-happy holiday to not just the standard anticlimactic let-down but also a few jarring thuds and thunks to rattle the soul.

That sentence was far too long.

This one is shorter.

As is this one.

It would probably be accurate to call this a faux-fudge, as it’s made in the microwave and is more crumbly-dense than chewy-soft. In its favour, though, this fudge can easily be vegan, dairy-free, and even gluten-free if you switch the Oreos for something devoid of The Gluten. Also, the fudge’s insane level of sweetness is quite a novelty, and rather perfect alongside a large mug of dark, dark, roiling, aromatic, black, black coffee.

On a side note, does anyone want to come be my housemate, or know of someone who might like to? This double rent thing is proving damaging to my travel-dream savings.

Oreo-Topped Peanut Butter Fudge

Makes many, many, squares. Possibly 64, but who’s counting?
Adapted from Alton Brown

170g (6oz) butter (or dairy-free spread like Nuttelex, for vegan version)
55g (2oz) coconut oil
1 cup (260g) peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
450g (1 pound) pure icing sugar
5 (65g) Oreos, crushed

Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) square tin with baking paper, extending the paper up the sides where you can.
Place the butter, coconut oil, and peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2 minutes on high, then stir. Microwave again for 1-2 minutes, until all is melted and very hot and combined.
Add the vanilla and icing sugar and stir like you mean it, like you’re a crazy person trying to stir out all of your swirling emotions through your arm. The mixture will become quite hard to stir and lose its sheen*.
Spread the fudge into the pan and scatter the crushed Oreos over the top, pressing them in gently. Refrigerate until cool, about two hours, then cut into 2.5cm (1-inch) pieces and store in the fridge or freezer (my Dad loves this fudge best straight from the freezer).

* Speaking of Sheens, I love Jed Bartlet. And Toby. And Josh. And Leo. And Danny. And even Sam, now that Rob Lowe is also on Parks and Recreation. Yes. End scene.

Lemon Rosewater Almond Granola, The Sinking Boat

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Hannah

I tend to describe most of the recipes I post on this blog with laudatory, glowing, effervescent words of deliciousness and grandeur. And why not? I create according to my tastes, and I like my tastes. That’s why they’re my tastes.

When you think about it, this has a strange kind of logic.

But unfortunately, this granola did not float my boat. It didn’t even rock the boat.

(And the devil will drag you under, by the sharp lapel of his checkered coat! Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down you’re rocking the boat!)

In fact, this lemon rosewater granola was more like a tiny origami boat (made of a piece of paper you scribbled on pointlessly whilst listening to your insurance company’s hold music for approximately sixty-bazillion hours) that starts to sink as soon as you gently place it in the water. The algae-infested man-made Lake Burley Griffin water.

I found the recipe on Anja’s Food 4 Thought and, though I did have my doubts about the ratio of liquid to oats as I stirred it together, I decided to trust in the woman who brought me (and you) the magnificent magical flourless three-ingredient maple almond cake.

Unfortunately for me (and for you), this recipe must be designed for those whose tastebuds are wired differently. My rendering of this granola recipe resulted in predominantly flavourless oats and the occasional faint kick of lemon. The faint kick did, at least, reinforced my belief that this granola could be wonderful with a bit of tinkering.

I do think that this recipe, or concept, has promise. I intend to make it again, but will next time double, if not triple, the amount of honey and lemon.

After all, there’s nothing wrong with instilling a little more sweetness in your life.

Pointless rosemary! Like the irrelevant lizard!

Lemon Rosewater Almond Granola

Slightly adapted from Anja’s Food 4 Thought

Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup) (will double or triple next time)
1/4 cup honey/vegan sweetener of choice (will double or triple next time)
1 tb rosewater
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flax seeds (I used ground, as that’s all I had)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups chopped prunes

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Line large baking sheet with baking paper.
Combine zest, juice, rosewater, honey, and syrup in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and let cool for just a little bit.
In a large bowl, mix the oats, flax, and almonds together, then pour the syrup mixture over and stir until well combined.
Spread onto baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once half way though. Stir in the prunes and bake for another 5-10 minutes, making sure nothing burns.

P.S. For a really, really awesome-spectacular granola, try my spiced fig, pepita, and molasses granola.

Sunflower Coconut Honey Truffles and Friendship

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Hannah

Before I started my own blog, I would spend hours trawling and reading other people’s blogs but, sadly, rarely ever commented. I didn’t realise, back then, that comments are a blogger’s bread and [peanut] butter, and that the simple act of leaving a few words can be the difference between a crummy day and a day of smiles for the person behind the blog.

(As an aside, thank you so much to everyone who has, or might in future, comment here. You turn so many of my days into days of smiles.)

Even when I did started blogging, I was initially nervous about commenting on the blogs of people who awed me with their talent, popularity, and/or on-a-pedestal-awesomeness.

One such person was Amber, whose blog I chanced upon and loved for its stories of travel, food, and fun. At first, I couldn’t bring myself to comment. The lady was clearly so effervescent, so beautiful, so intelligent, and so passionate that the thought of little old me contacting her seemed laughable.

And yet something within me told me to write to Amber. It might’ve been her love of language and grammar, the juxtaposition of her metal music lovin’ with her baking prowess and veganism, or simply the fact that her gorgeous smile invited friendship rather than prohibiting it. Whatever it was that pushed me to get over my fears and contact Amber, I’m so grateful I did.

Almost immediately, we became bosom friends in the manner of Anne of Green Gables and Diana (though we both, I believe, prefer Laura Ingalls Wilder by a smidge), and have seen each other (albeit never in person) through various highs and lows. I sometimes get confused when I remember that we haven’t met in real life but, hand over heart, this lady means so much to me that even a proper squeezy hug at an airport arrival lounge couldn’t fully convey it*.

*We will get that squeezy hug one day, though.

Amber is currently writing her first cookbook after quitting her job in an incredible leap of faith, and I couldn’t be prouder.

One more thing. If I’d never contacted Amber that dark nervous night nearly two years ago, I never would have come across her recipe for raw honey-almond butter truffles. And, in turn, I wouldn’t have been able to share with you my version of her incredibly delicious, rich, dense, and not-ostensibly-but-tangibly scrumdiddlyumptious treat.

In other words, we’re all winners at this point.

Sunflower Coconut Honey Truffles

Very slightly adapted from Amber’s all-raw recipe at Real Sustenance

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (interchangeable with any nut butter)
45ml raw honey (I used Manuka honey. Also, sub in maple or agave syrup if you don’t do honey.)
1 tb ground golden flaxseed
1 tb cocoa powder, for rolling
1/4c water, optional, as needed

In a medium sized bowl, combine the coconut flour, sunflower seed butter, honey, and flaxseed in a medium bowl.
Using a wooden or metal spoon, stir thoroughly to combine as best you can. As both my sunflower seed butter and honey were rather thick and solid, I had to add around 1/4 cup of water (slooooowly, as needed) until the mixture started to clump when pressed together in my hands. Be careful with the water, though, as you don’t want to overdo it and make the mixture taste insipid. Keep checking as you go, until the dough stays together when you press it together. If that makes sense…
Roll the mixture into balls, the size of your choosing. I believe I got 15 out of my delicious dough.
Pour your cocoa into a small bowl, then roll each truffle in the cocoa to coat. Store in the fridge or in your belly.
At this point, I thought back to my no-bake cookie dough truffles which looked like raw meatballs and chuckled at how, in the wake of that fiasco, I managed to make delicious sweet treats that look like wombat droppings. I then forgot all scatological references as I gloried in the complex sunflower-seed-coconut-slightly-sweet-cocoa-tinged-rich-dense-amazingness of these truffles.

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