It’s also 4:30. Really?

Gag me. Daylight savings time has just ended.

I’ll get over it. It just takes me a few days. The highlight of standard time is, of course the fact that the mornings are a little brighter. (And it’s a good thing, I was beginning to feel like a farmer when my alarm went off.) Bright mornings mean bright breakfasts, and that to me means granola. Granola that’s just the slightest bit naughty.

How is this granola naughty you might ask? By the addition of cocoa nibs– roasted and cracked cocoa beans. I love a good nib. They give you a hit of chocolate flavor, without being sweet. In fact, I have always thought that they were rather fruity. A nib is crisp, dark, mysterious– and perfect for making granola.

The nibs in this granola are sort of like an additional nut, and tossed with tangy dried apricots it makes the perfect not too sweet granola. I would even call this granola restrained. (If you think that eating chocolate first thing in the morning is restrained.)

Cocoa Nib Granola

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup cocoa nibs
3/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl toss oats, nibs and coconut together. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the oil and butter. When entirely liquid, add the brown sugar, honey, and almonds, and cook for about 2 minutes, or fragrant. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla and the salt. Pour this mixture over the oat mixture. Toss well to coat, creating clumps of oats.

Pour onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, toss well, and then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Add the apricots, and toss again. Cool completely, and then store in an airtight container. Granola will last for quite some time, 2 weeks if you’re lucky.

This post is originally from Jan. 30, 2006. In the winter I find this granola, packed with dried fruit, and flaked coconut, particularly sunny.

There is quite a bit of lore surrounding granola, and I’m not exactly sure why. I do not chug shots of wheatgrass juice before delving into a cup overflowing with fruits and nuts scavanged on my last camping trip, but I do enjoy a good granola from time to time. But I am particular about just what goes into my granolas– no sunflower seeds, no walnuts, not too much cinnamon, and preferabley no raisins. See…picky. So the easiest way for me to enjoy my fiber, is to make it myself.

So there are many ingredients that I do not favor in my granola, but just what do I like? Well, in the batch that I made there were coarsely chopped hazelnuts, shavings of dried coconut, chopped dried apricots, a handful or so of dried cherries (for sweetness), and of course, rolled oats. Simple and delicious, the granola was lightly kissed with cinnamon, and flavored with a touch of pure vanilla.

How did granola get its oh-so-healthy reputation, when in fact many recipes for it are drowning in vegetable oil, and struggling under mounds of sweeteners? All granola does not have to be this way. In fact this granola uses no unsightly oils, but it does rely upon a bit of melted butter. The butter, when melted, becomes toasty, lending a richness to this cereal. First, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, then add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, and toast gently over medium heat. The nuts will begin to brown, contributing to the toasty flavor of the butter. Then 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of honey, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract are added to the nut mixture. Continue cooking over low heat until the sugar has melted, about 3 minutes.

Then it’s time to go wild, add the nut mixture to 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, and any other ingredients you like. I added 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots, 1/2 cup flaked coconut, a handful of dried cherries, and a light dusting of ground cinnamon. Toss the granola mixture well, as you want the butter to gently coat the oats. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 325 degrees for one half hour, tossing every 10 minutes. Your granola should be golden brown, and the dried fruit should just be beginning to color.

Then each time you dig in to a batch of your own homemade granola, you too can kick off your Birkenstocks, sway calmly to Sugaree , let your braided hair down, and be proud of the nourishing food in which you are about to take part.