Custom Granola

The Gourmandise School   of Sweets and Savories

Sweet Send-offs. Despite the heat outside, we are well into fall. You've seen the school buses, the backpack displays and specials on granola bars and juice packs, and, occasionally, the parental breakdown. Some are dancing the jig after drop off, and others move slowly, wistfully, away from the security gates as their student move towards new adventures. Oh, but how we want to feed our distant kids! You know what they're eating. You've been there before. Cafeteria food, sneeze guard salads and lots of late night pizzas. Whether yours is off to boarding school of has flown from the coop into college life, there's room for a sweet love note from home in the bin under their bed. Let's break down what ships best. Leave the fruit tarts off and precious decorated cookies. Stick to what travels well, lasts long and stores easily. Granola is great (see recipe below), sealed in mason jars. Brownies and bars and perfect, stacked, wrapped in parchment and ready to share with bunkmates, but our favorite pick-me-up are homemade Oreos (check our FBpage later today for the recipe) packaged in shipping tubes. If baking isn't your thing, one of our Business of Food students just launched Mom in the Mail, a fresh-baked care package company that launches this Thursday. Custom Granola Assorted fruits and nuts of your liking 4 cups old fashioned oats 2 tsps vanilla (optional) 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 4 ounces unsalted butter 1/3 cup olive oil 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 egg whites, whisked 1/2 cup chopped mixed chocolate (roughly chopped, not too small) 1. In a large bowl, toss your oats, nuts and dried fruits together. 2. Bring the butter, honey and brown sugar to a simmer.  Stir in the oil, salt and vanilla. 3. Whisk your egg whites just to get them foamy. 4. Pour the butter mixture over the oatmeal and mix with a wooden spoon until coated.  Using your hands (it helps to add a little bit of oil to your hands), fold in the egg whites, making sure they are well incorporated (this helps form clusters). 5. Squeeze clusters and scatter in a thin layer onto parchment or foil-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes at 300, stirring once or twice, until just a little browned. Once cooled, add in your chocolate, if desired.  Options I find that two extra cups of nuts and 1 cup dried fruits work best with this ratio of oats.  Here are few of our favorite combinations: -Hazelnuts, Almonds and Currants -Pistachios, Golden Raisins and Dried Apricots -Pine nuts, Rosemary and Dried Apricots, finely chopped -Coconut, Macadamia nut and Dried Mangos Wishing you a delicious day,  Clémence and Hadley