Holiday Granola With Homemade Candied Ginger Food

GINGERBREAD GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment and grease well with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the brown sugar with the oil, honey and molasses in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Toss together the oats, nuts, pepitas, dried cranberries, candied ginger, spices, wheat flour, wheat germ and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour the honey mixture on top and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Spray the bottom of a second baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and use it to press the granola down into the pan evenly. Sprinkle the holiday sprinkles on top.
• Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely, then remove from the baking sheet and cut into fourteen 1 1/2-by-4-inch bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months.

HAZELNUT-PISTACHIO GRANOLA WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• To a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the maple syrup, vegetable oil, butter, and cinnamon. Stir occasionally until butter is melted and ingredients are combined. Stir in the cinnamon
• In a large bowl, toss together the rolled oats, pistachios, hazelnuts, and coconut.
• Pour the maple syrup mixture over the oats and nuts, and with a wooden spoon, toss until evenly coated.
• Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Spread granola on cookie sheets and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola turns golden brown.
• Let cool, then mix in the dried fruit.
• Store in an airtight container (it should keep for up to a month at room temperature).

GRANOLA WITH CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Toast oats, almonds and walnuts in a wok or deep skillet for about 5 min over low heat. Stir often.
• Add raisins and coconut. Toast 3 min, stirring.
• Add flax seeds, wheat germ, candied ginger and powdered ginger. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
• It's done! Serve with fresh fruit and yogurt or milk.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA WITH GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix rolled and quick-cooking oats, pecans, walnuts, almonds, and pepitas together and spread out on a sheet pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
• Mix maple syrup, coconut oil, crystallized ginger, turmeric, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, and pepper together in a smaller bowl and pour over the oats and nuts. Mix thoroughly, then pour mixture back onto the baking sheet.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn oven off and leave granola in for 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

GREEK YOGURT PARFAIT WITH GINGER CANDIED PUMPKIN, BERRIES AND PUMPKIN SEED PECAN GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Toss the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, maple syrup and 1 teaspoon brown sugar together in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Let cool, then crumble.
• Add the squash, ginger, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepot. Boil until the squash is tender, then let cool. Mix the squash with the berries and dress in the ginger syrup.
• Spoon the yogurt into 4 bowls. Top each with some berry and squash mixture, then top with granola. Garnish the parfait with lime zest.

HOLIDAY GRANOLA WITH HOMEMADE CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• To make candied ginger, start by peeling ginger and slice into pieces 1/8" thick using a mandolin.
• Place in a large pot and cover with water. Add pinch of salt.
• Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove 1/2 cup of the ginger water and strain the ginger of the rest of the water.
• Place the strained ginger in a pot with sugar and the reserved ginger water.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated, and begins to crystallize (about 45 minutes). Transfer to a cooling rack and spread out and separate individual pieces.
• Allow to cool completely. Stores up to 2 weeks in airtight container.
• To make holiday granola, start by preheating oven to 300ºF.
• Mix dry ingredients together. Add coconut oil and maple syrup and mix until well combined.
• Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake 20 minutes, rotate the pan, and then bake another 20 minutes until golden brown.
• Allow to cool for 30 minutes before breaking into pieces.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

CRYSTALLIZED CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Peel the ginger using a sharp-edged teaspoon (or a small knife) -- yep that is the easiest way, just scrape it toward you and all comes off. In the joints just break apart the pieces to get all the peeling.
• Now slice it in 1/4-inch-thick slices -- I used the Cuisinart since I was doing so much but you can use a mandoline or sharp knife.
• Place the slices in a large nonreactive saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain, cover with fresh cold water, boil, and again cook 15 minutes. Repeat this blanching process 2 more times, for a total of 4 blanchings in all.
• After the last blanching, drain and cover with 6 cups of fresh cold water and 3 cups of sugar. Slowly bring the syrup to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the ginger is translucent and the syrup is thickened, about 20-30 minutes; watch carefully. Remove from heat.
• You now have Canton candied ginger and can store it this way (in it's syrup, in a sterilized jar with a tight fitting lid, and refrigerated) for practically forever.
• Or, for crystallized ginger, let stand for about 30 minutes, for the ginger to absorb more syrup. Then you can take the pieces of ginger from the syrup and toss it in granulated sugar and put it on a rack (or on a parchment lined baking sheet) to dry, uncovered at room temperature, for at least 8 hours or overnight, until the sugar coating is firm and the slices are no longer sticky. This also keeps for at least a year, stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container.
• Notes: Save the syrup for flavoring, it has a strong ginger flavor and can be used to flavor drinks-- it is so yummy! I also save the sugar that I tossed it in to use in recipes.

LEMON GINGER GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• In a large bowl or small vat combine the oats, germ, nuts, and brown sugar.
• In a separate bowl, combine honey, oil, lemon stuff, powdered/grated ginger, and salt.
• Combine both mixtures- tossing very very well (for 3-5 minutes) to distribute the goo evenly and pour onto as many sheet pans as you can find.
• Bake for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
• About halfway through the process your kitchen and house will start to smell heavenly and your mouth will be watering.
• While the granola is baking, chop the candied ginger down to "raisin" size or smaller- this is a pain as it is very sticky, and it doesn't work well in the food processor, unfortunately.
• Remove granola from oven and transfer into a large bowl.
• Add candied ginger and mix until evenly distributed.
• Makes a whole boatload.
• Keeps- probably a month, but it won't take you that long to eat it, will it?