Chocolate Granola

Anything you can do I can do better; I can do anything better than you. - Annie Get Your Gun

That seems to be my motto. I like trying to make things myself - the chocolate granola I found recently is no exception. The granola I bought boasts oats, dried cherries, almonds, pecans, and cocoa. A peek at the ingredients lists reveals brown sugar and coconut. I loved it! My first round, I only made it with about half a cup of oats, to test my ratios... and cooking temperature. I baked it on my standby temp, 350, and ended up thinking that could have been a tad high. It had a cooked smell to it that I wasn't really looking for. I did better the second time around.

I accidentally used my ingredients
before their photo op, so my
coconut bag is sad and empty.

Second attempt:
1/3 C cocoa
1/3 C brown sugar
1/2 C water

1/2 C almonds
1/2 C coconut
1/2 C craisins
2 C Oats

Mix the cocoa, brown sugar and water together as well as you can. It won't be quick. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir some more. Repeat. At this point you should have something that resembles thin chocolate syrup. In a bowl, combine almonds, coconut, craisins, and oats, then pour the syrup over the mixture. You can stir, but you'll probably be better off mixing this with your hands and squeezing it between your fingers! Yes, in case you're wondering, I'm ten years old. Make sure before you get your hands all dirty that you already have a pan ready, so you don't have to touch your cabinets! I pressed my mixture into a 9x13 pan, but a cookie sheet or most anything would do. Remember the thicker you layer, the slower it will dry out. Cook at 300 degrees for one hour, turning and breaking up about halfway through. If it is not hardened enough for your taste, check it at fiften minute increments.

This recipe will make about sixteen 1/4-cup servings. Here are the nutrition facts:

Calories 123
Total Fat 4.3g
Sat. Fat 1.7g
Cholest. 0
Sodium 3mg
Carb. 18.1g
Fiber 3.1g
Sugars 8.5
Protein 3.6g

It's not diet food, but then again I am not a fan of "diet food". This has antioxidants, good fat, and fiber, low sugar and it tastes chocolatey! Best of all it hits the spot and you probably won't be hungry again soon - though I make no guarantees whatsoever that you will be able to stay out of it.