Lemon Blueberry Granola

Chocolate is my love language, so I always gravitate toward recipes with chocolate rather than fruit-based recipes. But there are so many delicious fruit flavors and combinations, and this lemon blueberry granola from Two Peas & Their Pod captured my attention. I'm so glad it did because this is a new family favorite. It's tart, yet sweet. Lemon and blueberry were meant to be together, and this granola makes the magic happen.

Lemon Blueberry Granola
2 1/2 cups oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1 cup chopped almonds

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled

Zest of 2 lemons

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, almonds and salt. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the liquid ingredients and the zest. Pour liquid mixture over oats, and stir to evenly coat. 

Spread on baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway. Granola is done when lightly golden. Cool completely before adding dried blueberries. Makes about 5 cups. 

S'mores Granola

Clearly I'm getting caught up on recipes from the past couple months, and we've tried quite a few new granolas. This version from Always Order Dessert earned rave reviews. It makes breakfast taste like dessert while still carrying some resemblance of nutritional value. (You can always decrease the add ins to lower the sugar content while still retaining the s'mores flavor profile.)

S'mores Granola
2 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. salt
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup brown rice syrup (or maple syrup or honey)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat germ and salt. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar and syrup together over medium heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. Stir vigorously to combine the mixture into a thick syrup.

Pour the syrup mixture over the oats, and stir well to coat. Spread evenly on baking sheet, and bake 10 to 15 minutes until oats are golden brown, stirring at least once. Sprinkle on chocolate chips as soon as you remove it from the oven, and let it cool completely (and it should harden as it cools). Add in mini marshmallows. Makes about 4 cups of granola. 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola

We're always on the hunt for new granola flavors. I had done pretzels and peanut butter together as granola bars, so I decided to give that combo a whirl as granola. This recipe from Meg's Everyday Indulgence hits both the sweet and salty notes, and it's easy to add in chocolate chips if you prefer a bit more sweet. 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oats
2 cups crushed pretzels
1/4 cup salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300°F. Microwave honey and peanut butter together until smooth, and stir in oil and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine the oats, pretzels, salt and cinnamon. Pour the peanut butter mixture onto the oats, and stir well to coat. 

Pour granola onto a lined baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden. 

Cookie Butter Cupcakes

If you've never tried cookie butter before, you definitely should. I've found it as Biscoff cookie spread or Speculoos cookie butter, and both are equally delicious. If you're wondering what to do with this amazing cookie spread, I most frequently eat it from a spoon.

But if you want something a bit more polished, then these cupcakes are the perfect avenue to enjoy cookie butter. I adapted a brown sugar cupcake from Sally's Baking Addiction and modified my standard buttercream to maximize the cookie butter flavor in this treat.

Cookie Butter Cupcakes
Cupcakes
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg, room temperature
1/4 cup yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 Tbsp. cookie butter emulsion
Frosting
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/4 cup lard
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cookie butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cookie butter emulsion
1 Tbsp. hot water
Garnish
Cookie crumbs
Cookies, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine dry ingredients together, and set aside. Whisk melted butter and sugar to combine, and then add remaining liquid ingredients. Once that mixture is well combined, gently stir in the dry ingredients until mixed. Pour into prepared cupcake liners (12). 

Bake 20 minutes or until cupcakes are done. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat butter and lard together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, and mix well. Add in liquid ingredients, and beat until fluffy. Frost cupcakes as desired (and you'll likely have extra frosting, which is delicious to eat with any extra Biscoff or Speculoos cookies). 

Garnish with cookie crumbs and half a cookie immediately prior to serving (to retain their crunch). Makes 12 cupcakes.