Brown Butter Pecan Granola

Yogurt was not a food in my diet until three years ago. I didn't understood what all the fuss about. And then one day I got it and it became a daily must have. Sometimes I would add dried fruit or nuts to it and sometimes not. But then after two years of having a yogurt a day, I woke up one day and decided I had had my fill of yogurt. Or rather I decided to consciously uncouple yogurt from my life. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was standing in line at the grocery store and a woman in front of me was buying a brand of yogurt (or should I say yoghurt) I had not seen before. I couldn't resist asking her about it. Based on the opinion of a complete random stranger (who for all I knew she thought things like soy milk and almond milk tasted blissfully delicious) I left my place in line at the grocery store, headed to the dairy section and added some of the made in Colorado yoghurt to my cart. Learning of where it was made for some unexplainable reason suddenly took all the risk out of buying this yoghurt and before even tasting it I was convinced it would be the best tasting yoghurt on the planet (if you have ever been to Colorado you might understand this thinking, I mean before the proliferation of microbreweries and better food distribution systems didn't people who lived east of the Mississippi drive hundreds of miles to buy that Colorado made Coors beer?)

All I will say is that after my self-imposed year long hiatus from eating yogurt, I seriously think I could eat this made in Colorado yoghurt for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And oh by the way the name of this insane deliciousness it is called Noosa. But this blog posting isn't an advertisement for a specific brand of yoghurt even though up to this point it may seem like it is. No it is about making granola, although admittedly I am taking a rather long time getting there. Just bear with me a little longer.

Although yoghurt has now returned to my life, I wasn't certain I wanted to go back to only adding dried fruit and nuts to it every now and then. As if the universe was listening, I came across a granola recipe I knew I had to make. This yoghurt deserved something more than a store bought granola added to it. It was one homemade granola worthy. More specifically, only a Brown Butter Pecan Granola. One created by the critically acclaimed Cassandra Shupp, a pastry chef working at the Topping Rose House restaurant in the Hamptons, would be. Fortunately for me (and you) she shared her granola recipe. But let me clear about something. This granola isn't just for topping yoghurt. It is a cereal, it is an ice cream topping, one of the layers in a yoghurt parfait, and it is a snack food.

This isn't one of those overly sweet granolas. The combination of dark brown sugar and honey create just the right amount of sweetness. Coconut flakes, raw pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries make it feel almost like a health food.

Browning the butter adds to a depth of flavor you don't get with just melted butter. To brown the butter melt a stick of unsalted butter in a medium sized saucepan, allow it to foam and then while stirring constantly allow it to brown (about 5 to 7 minutes of total cooking time). Transfer browned butter to a medium sized bow and whisk in the dark brown sugar, honey, and vanilla.

This granola recipe calls for placing the pecans in a food processor and processing until they turn into a fine powder or are finely ground.

I love the hint of flavor the orange zest adds to this granola. It combines perfectly with the flavor of dried sweetened cranberries and cinnamon.

Once the pecans have been finely ground and the orange zested, add them to the unsweetened coconut flakes, raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), old-fashioned oatmeal, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Drizzled the butter mixture over the dry ingredients, stirring this mixture until all of the dry ingredients are coated. Spread the granola out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

In a preheated 275 degree oven, the granola is baked for 40 to 50 minutes (baking time for me was 45 minutes). Stir the mixture frequently (for me this was every 10 minutes). When the granola is a golden brown remove from oven and allow it to cool on the baking sheet. The baked granola will still look wet when finished baking, however, it will dry as it cools.

When the granola has cooled, break into pieces and add a half cup to three-quarter of a cup of dried cranberries. Or you can mix in dried cherries, whatever your preference. The granola should be stored in covered jars or a sealed bag. I bet that after you make this granola you won't be buying the store bought version anymore. And your yoghurt parfaits and breakfast buffets will become legendary ones.

Recipe
Brown Butter Pecan Granola (inspired by the granola recipe created by Cassandra Shupp) 

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, ground finely
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries (or dried cherries)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan and cook (stirring often) until butter foams and then browns (approximately 5-7 minutes). 
3. Transfer browned butter to a medium sized bowl. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla and honey. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, orange zest, cinnamon and salt.
5. Drizzle butter mixture and stir to combine.
6. Spread granola out on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown (40-50 minutes). Let granola cool on baking sheet. Note: Mixture will be golden brown but will still look wet. Not to worry, it will dry as it cools.
7. Break cooled granola into clusters. Stir in dried cranberries and store in an airtight container.

I have been fortunate to have a circle of women friends who are wise, insightful, kind, non-judgmental, funny, beautiful, and thoughtful. Individually and collectively they have influenced me in so many different ways, have pushed me to think and reflect (never giving me the answers to my questions or solving my dilemmas), have accepted and helped support me in all of the life choices I have made, have nurtured my spirit during those times when it was wounded, and have unselfishly given of themselves with no expectation of receiving anything in return. I often pinch myself for being so blessed as to have this amazing circle of friends in my life.

Last week I had the chance to spend some time with one of these friends. Sitting by the fire (this has been a cold spring) and having a glass of wine, she listened to me reflect on something that I have been struggling with for a very, very long time. The light bulb finally went on in my head as I listened to her questions and her observations. If it wasn't for the wine I drank I am not sure I would have fallen asleep  that night as I had so many thoughts running through my head. When I woke up in the morning, I realized she captured perfectly what I it was I had been struggling with or rather I should say not dealing with. Unbeknownst to her, her words resonated with me on many levels. They also served to remind me how incredibly blessed I am that these women friends of mine have always valued me in their life as much as I have valued them. I cannot think of a moment when any of them were indifferent to me or my issues even when they too were balancing so many plates in their own lives. The absence of indifference is what has enabled these friendships to grow and strengthen over time. I hope all of you are lucky enough to have friends in your life who show you in both their words and actions just how much you matter to them. Because those are the friends you need, should have, deserve, and want in your life.