Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola

Dark chocolate cherry granola.

The name itself sounds like a decadent dessert.

And while you could definitely enjoy a bowl of it for dessert (ooh, or on top of a scoop of ice cream), we like to eat ours for breakfast. I mean, anytime you can have chocolate for breakfast it's good, right?

The sweetness of the cherries is balanced by the bitterness of the chocolate.Toss in some almonds for good measure, and you've got tasty, crunchy, granola goodness.

I cut my cherries in half to keep everything uniform in size and because the kids especially don't like the large pieces. This time I also used dark chocolate chips instead of chopping a bar, so I cut those in half, too. Of course, you could save yourself some time and work and just simply toss in the cherries and chocolate as is. But if you have picky, big-chunk-disliking kiddos, you might want to give your add-ins a chop. 

Either way, this granola is worth the work.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola

Ingredients:

5 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds 

2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil 
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate pieces

Directions:

1. Place oats and almonds in a large bowl.

2. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, combine the honey, coconut oil, and peanut butter. Microwave for one minute; whisk. Microwave an additional 30 seconds, or as needed, to melt everything and allow it to combine smoothly. (Can also be melted on the stove in a small saucepan.)

3. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over oats and almonds and mix to coat. (I use a spatula.)
4. Spread granola in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 275°for 20 minutes. Stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool completely before mixing in dried cherries and chocolate. Store in an air-right container. 

 

Tasty Tuesday: Cherry-Strawberry Jam

This was my first time making jam. Can you believe it? It was even my first time canning. *Gasp* Crazy, I know. They're both things I've always wanted to do, but just never got around to doing.  Until now.

We still had about 3 cups of cherries left after making the cobbler. I had planned to make a pie, but decided on this recipe instead.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups finely chopped or ground sour cherries

2 cups red strawberries

5 cups sugar

1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin

Directions:

1. In a large kettle, combine cherries and strawberries; stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. 

2. Add sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

3. Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Pour hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

I don't own a cherry pitter. I meant to borrow my mom's since it makes the whole pitting cherries thing much, much easier. Not to worry though, I had a plastic drinking straw. You simply put the cherry on top and pull it down onto the straw, leaving the pit at the top. Ideally, you need three hands: one to hold the cherry, one to hold the straw, and one to hold the camera. Alas, I have only two. Such is life.  I had to settle for pitting it, wiping off my hand, and snapping a picture. If you're not photographing, don't feel bad about not having a third hand.

The cherry pitter is a much faster process than using the straw. You also get a much neater hole, instead of a mangled cherry. (The appearance doesn't matter when making jam since the cherries are chopped.)

One more tip - don't pit the cherries near a drainer full of clean, drying dishes. I splattered cherry juice everywhere . . . and I was being careful! A pitter is a much cleaner process. 

I absolutely love my food processor. It is a magical tool. You dump in cupfuls of fruit, pulse for seconds, and get perfectly chopped  mush.

But beware! It may be "too loud" for some. 

Isn't that beautiful? Alyssa and I were ready right then and there to grab a straw and slurp away. Mmm, it smelled sooo good already. All we needed was a little vanilla ice cream, and we could have whipped up some shakes in no time!

But no, back to the jam . . .

After combining those shades of red, she added the thickening agent, the pectin.

She stirred it up some more, let it boil, and added the sugar. Personally, I suggest trying to get all the sugar in the pot. You can, however, do what you choose. It's just a preference of mine to contain the sugar with the other ingredients. I know, I'm silly like that.

Here's where it really gets fun! As the mixture comes to a boil, the pectin starts to do its job. The liquid thickens and bubbles. It gets frothy and fills the pot. It was like having our own volcano oozing hot, red lava right there in the kitchen. Thankfully, the volcano didn't erupt!

We canned a few jars. (Jarred a few cans?) Having never canned before, I was almost skeptical that it wasn't going to work or that I would do something wrong. It was pretty exciting when I saw that they did indeed seal! Yea!

The jam was incredibly yummy! It reminds me of strawberry-rhubarb pie (my favorite!) It goes perfectly with freshly baked homemade bread. Delicious! I would definitely make this again . . . after I buy a cherry pitter.

Tasty Tuesday: Cherry Cobbler

Since I had 4 pounds of cherries, I figured I should make something with them. I mean, did I really want my kids eating all 4 pounds raw and dripping staining cherry juice all over their clothes, trying to spit out the pit. Nope, I have enough laundry as it is. 

Like I said before, I don't like cooked cherries. But really, does that matter? I find enjoyment in baking for others. What were we going to make though? After much debate, I settled on a cobbler.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, melted                               1 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour                                         1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt                                                 1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking powder                                   3 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
1/2 cup milk                                                          3/4 cup white sugar
 

Directions:
1. Mix 3/4 cup sugar, butter or margarine, flour, salt, baking powder, and milk together. Place cherries in the bottom of a 9 inch square pan. Spread dough over cherries.
2.  In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in boiling water. Pour mixture over the dough.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Pitting the cherries is by far the best part of making this cobbler, or any fresh cherry recipe for that matter. Jake loves the cherry pitter. It makes him feel strong and manly when the pit pops out the end. This was Alyssa first time trying it. She struggled at first, but eventually got the hang of it. The first time she heard the thump of the pit, she got the biggest smile and proudly announced, "I DID IT!!!" (We won't mention the 5 pits we found in the finished dessert. Shh, don't tell her.)

We were at my parents' house when we made this, so I did most of the preparation myself. My helpers were too busy playing and getting spoiled to be bothered by something as simple as a cobbler. They assumed I could handle it by myself.

I can handle it by myself, right? It's been so long. I almost don't know how to cook or bake without 1 child on the counter, 1 on a step stool, and 1 hanging on my leg. 

I sure hope I didn't forget anything.

So much for not liking cooked cherries! The cobbler was delicious. (Apparently I don't need their help after all. Who knew?)

The cherries were just right - not mushy, not too tough. The sauce was not too runny, but not too thick either. Gooeyish. The crust was not as tasty as my usual cobbler topping, but it was good. Overall, I was pleased.    

I guess my cooked-cherry hating days are over. I feel so empty, so lacking purpose. What is left for me to loathe? Oh, that's right . . . anything spicy. Whew, all is right in the world again. 

And now I know I can use up the remaining pounds of cherries by adding pounds to my weight! How exciting!

Cherry Picking

As soon as spring sprung, Jake and Alyssa began obsessing about picking strawberries. This was going to be their first time, and they were excited. I personally had grand visions of making strawberry jam, strawberry pie, strawberry smoothies, strawberry lemonade, strawberry syrup, strawberry bread . . . strawberry strawberry strawberry! 

This past Thursday, I loaded up the kids in the van and headed to Westview Orchards with my mom. (We go to Westview every fall to pick apples. It's such a fun place with tons of things to do.) There was almost no one there since it was a weekday around noon. Great! And all the people who were there were heading out to pick cherries. Even better! Until we found out that the strawberry season ended two days prior. Oops. I was disappointed for sure. I mean, what was I going to do with cherries??? Cherry jam? Cherry lemonade? Cherry bread? I don't even like cooked cherries. The kids though, were just excited to pick anything. So, cherry picking it was. 

We got a quick ride on a golf cart out to the (orchard? grove? Anyone know where cherries grow?) trees. The kids ran around in excitement. They eagerly grabbed the fruit. I'm not sure where more cherries ended up - their baskets or their mouths. (Though I have to admit, I ate my fair share too! Fresh cherries are yummy. It's the cooked ones I can't stand.) It was so cute watching them reeeeaach way up high, trying to pick the very best ones.

When Jake found a tree that was full of ripened, juicy cherries, he said, "I hit the jackpot!!!" Not quite sure where he heard that terminology, but it was cute.

There were a few ladders set up throughout the orchard. All three kids were immediately drawn to them. Jake has no fear. He climbed up ladder after ladder in order to get the best and highest cherries. Alyssa though, is my apprehensive one. She begged to climb up, but clung to the ladder once she did. She certainly would not go to the top. Zac is my other fearless boy. He ran right to a ladder and climbed up no problem. He didn't need any help from me. He climbed all the way to the last rung and reached as far as he could. If he could see the cherry, he reached for the cherry.

After we picked about 8 pounds (and ate another 4), we headed to the petting zoo. Zac loooves animals, so this was a big hit with him. They fed the animals ice cream cones filled with feed. It was so cute! Every time they fed a goat straight from their hands, they would drop all the food and giggle because "It tickles!"

Jake even made funny faces at the goats. It made me laugh, but the goats were not impressed. "Hey, kid. Either give me more food or get out of the way so someone else can." I'm sure I heard one say that.

And of course, what kind of trip would it be, if we didn't spend time at the playground??

What's the best way to end a hot day outside???

Ice cream!!!

While we didn't get my beloved strawberries, and we ended up with 4 pounds of cherries instead, we had a fantastic day. I love seeing the joy on their faces, hearing their laughs, and spending quality time with my precious gifts from God. Strawberries will go out of season; cherries will spoil; but these memories will never fade away.

While picking the cherries, Jake proclaimed, "This is the best day ever!" And that can never be taken away.