December is shaping up to be an unexpectedly busy month. Typically, this is the time of year I get a jump on my to-do list at work and take a few days off to relax and recharge. Meetings, conference calls and deadlines prevented me from doing either. I can’t believe Christmas is two weeks away – I haven’t even thought about what to give family and friends.
At this rate, I may end up dispensing tubs of this whole wheat snickerdoodle cranola to everyone. It’s actually the perfect DIY gift for a few reasons:
- It’s unique – i.e., not “just another” holiday cookie.
- It’s sturdy and travels well.
- It’s delicious!
So, if you’re at a loss about what to get your parents (who have everything), boss, coworkers or foodie friends this holiday season, surprise them with my favorite treat. Better yet, create a cranola sampler featuring several different varieties, like cookies and cream, funfetti cake and lemon chia seed.
- ¼ cup coconut oil, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the coconut oil and brown sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Add the flours, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined. Then add the oats and stir with a wooden spoon. When the ingredients start to come together, use your hands to continue mixing until all the oats are covered with dough.
- Squeeze off chunks of dough and loosely break them apart over the baking sheet, creating large clumps.
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle half of the mixture over the cranola clumps.
- Bake the cranola for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and stir gently. Sprinkle on remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, remove from the oven and stir gently. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until clumps are dry.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cranola cool completely. It will harden as it cools.
- Store cranola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, if it lasts that long.
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