Delightful Delectables - Coffee Cake Granola!

By: Amy Weinberg

As the last of the ice finally melted from my car on my way to the gym this morning, I thought about what it felt like to be warm again. I thought about summer and all of the grilled coffee cake I was eating just last month. By the time I got to the gym, I was almost in tears.

But I prevailed.

Through tear soaked cheeks I exercised and asked “God, how can I make this better?” God simply responded, “Coffee Cake Granola”.

(Edit: no real lines of communication were drafted between God and I)

What You’ll Need:

1 ½ cups old fashioned oats

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup Rice Krispie cereal

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup coconut oil (or EVOO)

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

And a coffee cake of your choice. I went with the banana walnut to add that extra banana element. 

Now let me put this recipe on pause for a quick pop-quiz.

What is the best part of our coffee cakes?

Correct answer: The streusel on top

Only other acceptable answer: All of it

Once you preheat your oven to 350 degrees and combine the above ingredients, it’s time to mix in the coffee cake. You’re going to want to break up the streusel, but not too much. The amount you mix in with your granola is up to you, but I used somewhere between ½ cup and 1 cup. Once all of your ingredients are combined, spread the mixture evenly across a baking sheet. Set your timer for 30 minutes and grab yourself a blanket because you’ve been in the bitter cold far too long.

Once your timer goes off and you regain feeling in your hands, it is time to let the granola cool. Some chunks may be more stuck together than others but the great taste is prevalent throughout. With this perfect post-workout snack in hand I am ready to curl up on the couch and dream about a warmer life!

Delightful Delectables - Sautéed Banana Grilled Coffee Cake!

By: Amy Weinberg

My goal every time I come up with a recipe for this blog is to create something that will enhance the already delicious coffee cake from My Grandma's of New England. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail. Sometimes I give up and just make little sugar figures to display next to the cake. This was not one of those times.

For the most part, the dessert ideas here are very simple and very delicious (with the exception of the Kahlua Soaked Coffee Cake Sundae, which was both very delicious and very complicated). I am not a baker. I am just a kid with a sweet tooth and an education (still up for debate), so anything I can bake, you can probably bake better!

Sometimes I make something that has out-of-this-world flavor just to look at the clock and see that it is already 9:00 pm. Sometimes I whip something up quick and easy but it doesn't do much for the coffee cake. Sometimes I stumble upon the winning combination of both ease and flavor. 

This is that dessert.

I suggested this dessert idea to our wholesale customers and because of such a great response, I bring you the Sautéed Banana Grilled Coffee Cake. 

I already had a Banana Walnut coffee cake from My Grandma's but I would suggest going with the Original Cinnamon Walnut just to balance out the banana flavor a little bit. Once you have your coffee cake, the only other ingredients you need are bananas, sugars, butter, and some spices. The first thing I did was melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan while tossing slices of the bananas in the sugars and spices. Once the butter was all melted, I dropped in the bananas and remaining spices and brought the heat down to a medium-low simmer. A perfect way to step this dessert up even more is to sauté the coffee cake. 

After about 10 minutes for the bananas and another 5 for the cake, you are pretty much done! I placed the coffee cake in a bowl with the bananas on top and gave it to my Mom. The only thing it was missing was a little bit of whipped cream.

So whether you are cooking for a date, or a party, or just because it's Monday and you're alive, this banana-fest is the PERFECT 15 minute dessert. Remember the whipped cream and GET CREATIVE. This dessert is delicious but there is so much room for you to make it your own!