Saturday, December 14, 2013

Mocha - Nola

I'm an "early" person - if you talk to me before 3PM, chances are I'll be coherent and able to complete tasks with some sort of efficiency. Other members of my family (and most of my friends), however, are so far in the opposite camp that if you call them before 2PM on a Saturday you get sent straight to voicemail. My stepdad is positively hopeless without his morning coffee, and even my early-riser mom needs her java before beginning the daily grind.

I may not need a cuppa to start my day, but that doesn't mean I don't like the occasional mug (or vat... you know, depending on the schoolwork load at the time) in my day. I prefer it black and strong, but my mom likes a little chocolate with hers... and really, can there be a better pairing than chocolate and coffee? When I was planning my "granola gifts" for this year's holiday boxes, I definitely wanted to pay tribute to the heaven-sent pairing, as well as give a nod to the meal where most of the caffeine is consumed - breakfast! So I created a bitter-sweet melange of breakfast cereal, oats, wheat bran, three hits of coffee and chocolate covered raisins that baked up crunchy, chunky and perfect for mixing into yoghurt, topping berries, munching out of hand or filling tortillas spread with almond butter (breakfast of champions, I tell you). I even came up with a great way to present this creation as a gift - use an empty coffee can! You know you have one... and if not, you need to try harder ;-).

What fills your cup to start the day? Are you a coffee or a tea guzzler? Hot lemon water? Nothing 'till noon? Let me know!

Mocha - Nola

Mocha - Nola
Makes about 3 cups, 6 (1/2 cup) servings
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup toasted oat cereal (ie. Cheerios)
½ cup wheat bran
¼ cup chopped almonds
2 tbsp ground coffee
⅓ cup double-strength brewed espresso
½ tsp coffee extract
2 tbsp pulverized Coffee Bean Brittle
2 tbsp white sugar
pinch salt
1 tbsp canola oil
1 ½ oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tbsp dark chocolate covered raisins
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cereal, almonds, and ground coffee.
  3. Whisk together the espresso, sugars and oil, then mix the liquid into oats.
  4. Spread in one layer on the baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and mix in the chocolate while still warm.
  7. Let it granola cool fully, stir in the raisins, and transfer into an air-tight container (I used a coffee can!). 
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 222.9
Total Fat: 10.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.6 mg
Sodium: 86.9 mg
Total Carbs: 33.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g
Protein: 5.1 g

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