I love granola, but one thing I’ve always found disappointing is how little flavor variation there is between different recipes. Sure, I may use different nuts or dried fruits, different oils or sweeteners, but by the time I stir it, bake it, and add some yogurt or almond milk it always tastes sort of the same. The only exception I’ve found is peanut butter granola, which is delicious, but I wanted something lighter, fruitier, more tropical. I tried experimenting with different spices and types of honey, but the differences were subtle, and the classic granola flavor persisted.

Then, one day, while nibbling on a freeze dried mango slice I realized I was holding the secret to my success. At first I wasn’t sure how to incorporate the freeze dried fruit since it burns easily if exposed to direct heat. I decided to add it in after cooking and before cooling, just as I would do with chunks of dried fruit.

I whipped up a batch of granola, pulverized a handful of dehydrated fruit, and sprinkled it over the fresh-from-the-oven oats, and stirred in some chopped dried mango for another layer of fruitiness. The result was just what I’d been dreaming of, a unique, tropical, fruity granola.

Freeze dried fruits have no added sugar or preservatives and a concentrated fruit flavor. As an added bonus, their low moisture content helps keep your granola crisp. This recipe could easily by adapted to make strawberry, apple, or banana granola. Try it out! You won’t be disappointed

 

Fantasy Mango Granola Recipe

(yields approximately 4 cups)

3 c. oatmeal (I used gluten free)

3 T. dark brown sugar

1/8 t. cardamom

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. seeds (I used sesame)

1/4 c. nuts (I used peanuts)

1/3 c. honey

2 T. vegetable oil

1/4 c. powdered, freeze-dried mango (from 12 slices)

1/2 c. chopped dried mango

Preheat oven to 300°. Place a sheet of lightly oiled parchment paper on a baking sheet. Mix together oatmeal, brown sugar, cardamom, salt, seeds, and nuts in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine honey and oil, pour over oatmeal mixture and stir until well coated. Spread into a thin layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, stir and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove from oven. Lift parchment off of baking sheet and set on a cool surface. Sprinkle mango powder over granola and toss to combine. Add chopped mango and toss again. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

adapted from Baby Cakes

Since last summer when I stopped eating wheat, I will occasionally experience a craving for a food and realize I haven’t tried to make it wheat free. I say wheat free instead of gluten free because I have discovered that while wheat gives me vertigo, heart palpitations, and digestive distress, spelt—an ancient low-gluten relative to wheat—has no ill effects on my system. I still often try to bake completely gluten free, but sometimes spelt with its sweet nutty flavor, gorgeous toasty color and impressive absorption is just the right tool for the job. Plus, it gives baked goods a longer shelf life than gluten free flours.

And I needed spelt’s super absorbency here because I used 2 cups of finely shredded zucchini, twice the amount in most recipes! I also added fresh fruit because it’s July and I just can’t get excited about raisins when my refrigerator is full of golden kiwi, plump blueberry’s, and dark syrupy cherries.

This bread is less sweet than many zucchini bread recipes, moist and dense. The generous amount of zucchini, whole grain flour, and low sugar content make it wholesome. A mixture of chocolate chips, fresh fruit and crunchy bits make it complex and decadent.

I made cocoa nib, mini bittersweet chocolate chip, and cherry bread. It’s rich and complex, but subtle. I can’t wait to make this again with a new flavor combination: peach/white chocolate/pecan perhaps or blueberry/milk chocolate/poppy seed? Let me know what adventure you choose in the comments.

 

Choose Your Own Adventure Wholesome and Decadent Zucchini Bread

 

2 c. spelt flour

½ c. flax seed meal

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

2/3 c. brown sugar or coconut sugar

¾ c. milk (cow, almond, coconut, etc.)

½ c. melted coconut oil or butter

1 ½ Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 c. shredded zucchini

1/3 c choc chips (white, milk, dark, regular or mini)

1/2 c chopped stone fruit or whole small berries (cherries, apricots, peaches, blueberries or raspberries)

1/3 c. crunch (nuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, or cocoa nibs)

 

Preheat oven to 325° and lightly oil a standard bread pan. In a large bowl, mix spelt flour, flax meal, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set 2 Tbsp. aside in a separate medium bowl; a chips, fruit and crunch ingredient and toss to coat with flour mixture. Set aside. In main bowl, one at a time, add sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla, stirring to incorporate after each addition. Fold in zucchini, then add chocolate mixture and fold again, until just incorporated.

 

Pour batter into prepared bread pan and bake for an hour (plus or minus 10 minutes) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or as long as you can wait before digging in.

 

Sherbet may sound like something your grandmother would serve you, but it’s actually a pretty sexy dessert. Cold, creamy, and so easy to make, sherbet is like the perfect hybrid of ice cream and sorbet. It’s bright and fruity, but also decadent and creamy, the perfect summer treat, if you make it yourself. Sherbet is slowly edging its way back into style. If you’re lucky enough to live in New York you should try the yuzu sherbet at ChikaLicious or the black raspberry sherbet at Sundaes and Cones, but wherever you live, you should really try to make this treat at home. It’s a snap, a breeze, and perfect for creating your own flavors.

Unlike most ice cream and sorbet recipes, it requires zero time seeping, boiling, or otherwise sweating over a hot stove.

The recipe below works well with fruits that are not too acidic and have a medium water content. The high water content of melons, or the extremely low one of bananas or avocado will affect the texture. The acidity of citrus fruit can curdle the dairy, and requires special consideration. For best results, choose one of the options offered below.

I made this lovely Strawberry Lavender Vanilla Sherbet this weekend, and it was bright, fruity and fluffy. Try one of the suggested flavors below or think up a combo of your own. Let me know how it goes!

 

Choose Your Own Adventure Sherbet

(adapted from Brooklyn Supper)

½ c. sugar (granulated sugar or evaporated cane juice)

¼ – 1 tsp. of flavoring* (seeds from 1 vanilla bean, zest from one citrus fruit, dried edible flowers such as rose or lavender, finely chopped fresh herbs, warm spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg)

4 c. chopped fruit* (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries; skinned peaches, apricots or nectarines, mangoes, cherries)

1 c. cream (heavy whipping cream, coconut cream, cashew cream)

pinch of sea salt.

 

Chill a metal bread pan or other container in the freezer. Place ½ cup of sugar in a medium bowl and add in the flavoring. Mix with finger, rubbing together to combine thoroughly. Toss in fruit, mix well and let it macerate for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, pour cream into a separate large bowl and whip until you’ve formed soft peaks. Pour fruit mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour over cream and fold together gently. Scoop into the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop into prepared pan and freeze at least an hour before serving. When ready to eat, allow sherbet to soften for a few minutes on the counter before scooping.

 

*If you’re feeling bold, you can mix two!

 

Suggested Combinations:

Strawberry, Lavender and Vanilla (pictured above)

Peach Mint

Cherry Lime

Apricot Rose

Blueberry Cinnamon