Getting Back Into The Groove

 I felt out of place the other day in my own kitchen. I took a few months off away from baking and blogging and I almost forgot how to do it! I post pics to my Instagram (monica_h30) account daily, but it's been awhile since I've actually picked up my DSLR to photograph a recipe with the intent to blog. It was exciting and kind of nerve wracking at the same time. Even hubby was surprised at what I was doing. It turns out, blogging is kind of like riding a bike. Or I assume it is, it has been YEARS since I actually got on one :-) I pulled props from around my kitchen and out of my vintage glass stash and it all came together. 

These scones came about because I had really ripe berries and heavy cream to use up. I put my spin on it and did things a little differently than the original recipe and they turned out delicious. They're also quite patriotic looking with their red, white and blue-ness! Once cooked, the strawberry flavor intensifies and produces little pockets of  jam-like goodness. The scone itself is barely vanilla and tender, with crunchy sugared tops. Enjoy with a pat of butter or whipped cream (or "keem" as Hayden likes to call it) and more fresh fruit. These are perfect for long, lazy weekends. 

Happy Memorial Day! 

StrawBerry and Cream Scones
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup chopped ripe strawberries
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream plus more for brushing the tops
• sanding sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Mix to combine.

Add the cubed, cold butter to the flour. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is pea sized and the mixture is crumbly. 

Gently stir in the strawberries and blueberries so that they are coated in the flour mixture. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract just until the mixture comes together. 

Place the dough onto a floured work surface and knead two to three times until a mass is formed, being careful not to over work the dough. Pat the dough into a flat disc about 10-inches wide and about 1-inch thick. 

Using a sharp knife, a bench scraper or a pizza wheel, divide the round into 8 equal triangles. Place the triangles onto the parchment lined baking sheet, about 1-2 inches apart. Brush the tops with additional heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the scones are golden brown. Cool slightly before serving. 

Makes 8 scones. 

This little booger hovers over me while I'm taking photos in the kitchen. He could not wait til I was done so he could dig in. I set my camera down and he helped himself to several fingers full of "keem". Then he said "take picture" and stuck out his tongue. He was very proud of himself! How could I resist those eyes and that curly top?

Sunshine In A Muffin

Ever see a recipe that looks good then someone else makes it and put their twist on it and it seems so much more enticing? That's what happened to me with this recipe. This recipe comes from two fantastic and talented bakers, Jane (Jane's Sweets & Baking Journal) and Lululu (lululu at home). Between their pictures and descriptions of this beautiful muffin (and my adoration of anything with strawberries and cream cheese) these muffins were bound to be whipped up in my kitchen at some point. I made these around Valentine's Day and they were just LOVE-ly. 

These muffins were awesome. I simplified the instructions just a bit and added orange zest to brighten up my muffin batter. Strawberries and oranges are just so summery to me- I love that combo even more than strawberries and lemon. You get that same vibrant punch from the zest but it's much more aromatic and not as tart.

I think I liked these so much because they were so.....creamy. I'd describe the muffin to you, but Jane said it best when she said the cream cheese center "just barely evokes the flavor of cheesecake, and it's subtle enough so that it doesn't make the muffins too rich, nor does it make you feel like you're eating something that belongs on a dessert cart. It also doesn't firm up into a thickened streak within the muffin, but melds nicely into the batter itself, augmenting the moistness of the muffin's soft interior." Well said my friend. Well said. 

Strawberry-Orange Cream Cheese Muffins 

adapted from Jane's Baking Journal and lululu at home

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Cream Cheese Mixture: 

• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Muffins:

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. 

For The Cream Cheese Mixture: In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

For The Muffins: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, orange zest, vanilla and eggs until incorporated.

Using a spatula, stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined but do not overmix.

Spoon  the batter into the prepared tins, filling them no more than 1/2 full.

Scatter a few pieces of strawberry on top of each one.

Top the strawberries with a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture, a tablespoon more of muffin batter, and finally a few more pieces of strawberry.

Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes, until they’re light golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing them to a rack to cool. 

Makes about 15 muffins.

Sweet Love Child

At the start of the new year, many of you will vow to cut out sweets from your life, go on diets and jump on the treadmill, desperately trying to drop a few holiday pounds. I get very lonely when that happens :-) Since I have a couple more days before 2013 gets here, I thought I'd share one last recipe in 2012 that's full of buttery, sugary goodness. Can I tempt any of you with Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Coffee Cake? There are oats and raisins in it, so don't feel so guilty. 

My very own photo/blog assistant!

I saw this recipe and had to make it, because I love me a good oatmeal raisin cookie. It's such a simple cookie, but it delivers every time- chewy raisins and oats, crunchy and buttery edges...oh, so good! There are oats in the cake batter, in the filling and the top cookie crumble. It's got raisins scattered throughout with spicy cinnamon and nutmeg perfuming the whole thing. It's practically health food. If coffee cake and cookies got together and had a love child, this would be it. And what a sweet love child it would be. While there is no coffee in this cake, a warm cuppa is the perfect accompaniment. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Coffee Cake adapted from Baking Bites

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For The Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup quick cooking oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For The Cookie Crumble:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup quick cooking oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

To make the cookie crumble: In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until well combined and the mixture is coarse and sandy. Stir in raisins and oats until mixed throughout. Set aside while you make the cake batter.

To make the cake: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Blend in half of the flour mixture until just combined. Add all of the buttermilk and the vanilla and stir until  well mixed, then blend in the remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined, but do not overbeat.

To Assemble: Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Top with half of the cookie crumble. Pour remaining batter on top and spread carefully to the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining crumble evenly over the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, before running a knife around the edge and carefully removing the springform ring. Allow to cool completely before serving. 

Store cake in an airtight container.

Thank you for the support and encouragement you all have shown me here at Lick The Bowl Good. I couldn't do this without each and every one of you. I hope to bring you many new and delicious creations in the upcoming year. Please be safe as you ring in 2013. Cheers!

~Monica H

Festive Muffins for Eating and Sharing

I promised you all another eggnog recipe, and here it is! Only this one uses real eggnog and is enhanced with rum extract and nutmeg to heighten the eggnog flavor throughout the muffins. And nothing says its the holidays more than eggnog and cranberries nestled together in a spicy crumb topped  muffin. There's freshly ground nutmeg in the muffin, as well as cinnamon and more nutmeg in the topping. They're warm and spicy, then you get a tart little bite of the bright cranberry. They're moist and tender, then crumbly and crunchy. Delicious and perfect when eaten with an eggnog spiced hot coffee. 

I've made these a couple of times now, tweaking along the way until I was happy with them and now I'm sharing with you...and the neighbors. I made a fresh batch yesterday morning to take to the neighbors on either side of us. They usually bring over my favorite pecan butter balls and tins of still-warm-from-the-oven gingerbread. I love eating homemade baked goods, that I didn't have to labor over, don't you? So whether you choose to make these for yourself on Christmas morning or as gifts, keep in mind that this recipe only makes 9 muffins, which might be a good thing, if you can't seem to put down the cookies and need portion control (like me). 

Cranberry Eggnog Crumb Muffins from Monica h

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For the crumb topping:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

For the muffins:

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup eggnog
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line 9 muffin cups with paper liners.  

To make the crumb topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir to combine. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse, sandy mixture forms. Refrigerate the mixture, while you make the muffin batter. 

To make the muffins: In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, melted butter, egg, eggnog, vanilla and rum extract. Stir until well combined.  

Add flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg to the wet ingredients and stir just until incorporated.  The batter may appear thick and dry, once you add the cranberries, it will loosen up a bit. Fold the chopped cranberries into the batter, but do not overmix. 

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners, filling them about two thirds of the way full.

Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly on top of the muffin batter.

  

Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or a until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Makes 9 muffins. 

I have one more festive recipe for you, so I'll be back in a couple days. Happy Wednesday! 

Summery Birthday Cupcakes & A Winner!

My sweet angel boy Sam would have turned 6 years old this past August 15th. It's hard to believe that that much time has passed. Every year we celebrate by baking him up a cake or cupcakes, and going to the cemetery for a balloon release. This year was no different only Hayden was with us and he sent the balloons up to his big brother. He will always be my first born even if he's not here. And I will always celebrate his life as long as I'm his momma. This year it was with strawberry lemonade cupcakes. 

Strawberries and lemons just scream summer to me and these were the perfect refreshing treat. They were sweet and tangy, bright and loaded with lemon zest in the cupcake, in the filling and in the buttercream. I found the recipe at Four Points Foodie and adapted it to my liking. I can't say that I've seen a cupcake filled with fresh diced lemony strawberries before so I was definitely intrigued. These were delicious and perfect for celebrating a sixth birthday. 

There are a few more days of Summer left and if you're looking for a seasonal recipe to whip up for your Labor Day weekend, these might be the cuppies for you! For the winner of the "Whatever Happened To Sunday Dinner?" cookbook head to the bottom of this post. 

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes adapted from Four Points Foodie

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For The Cupcakes:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

For The Strawberry Lemon Filling:

• 1/4 cup diced strawberries
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon

For The Lemon Buttercream:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

For The Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 8 cupcake tins with paper cups.  

In a mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy then add the sugar and mix well. Add the egg and the vanilla  then stir.  Alternately add the flour and the milk, mixing well after each addition. Add the salt and baking powder then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest then stir well.   

Scoop into cupcake papers filling no more than 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. 

For The Strawberry Filling: In a small bowl, mix the strawberries, lemon zest and the sugar and let sit for 10 minutes.   

For The Buttercream: In a medium bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest then slowly add the powdered sugar til well combined. Mix well then add the lemon juice and beat until fluffy.

To Assemble The Cupcakes: Cut the center of each cupcake out with a sharp paring knife. Spoon strawberry lemon filling into hole then using a large tip, frost over the filling on each cupcake.   

NOTE: Makes 8 cupcakes. Recipe can be doubled. 

The winner of "Whatever Happened To Sunday Dinner?" by Lisa Caponigri chosen by random.org is my friend Heather of Kitchen Concoctions. Yay! 

Summer Fun At The Pool

Whew! It has been a week, let me tell you. Hayden caught a virus that gave him a high fever for several days. He was okay until Wednesday night when he couldn't keep food down. Then he stopped eating and drinking and started to get dehydrated so we took him to the ER Thursday afternoon. The doctor there gave him some anti-nausea medicine that helped settle his stomach, which in turn allowed him to eat and drink and keep it down. It worked, he took a nap, drank milk, felt better then started flirting with the nurses. The doctor was happy with his progress so he didn't have to be hooked up to an IV afterall. Thank goodness. After the fever broke, he got a rash for a few days and that is finally going away. He is just about back to normal and acting like his silly self again. 

Over the weekend we went swimming at a family friends' house. Hayden has never been in a swimming pool before but we hoped he would like splashing in the water. He loved the water and was so relaxed by it. Instead of splashing around and having fun, he took a nap- twice! The water was so soothing and he was so relaxed in my arms that he just drifted off. He did have fun lounging in his floaty too. And I have to tell you, he is so darn cute in swim shorts and a cap :-)

I made these bars about a week before my birthday and they were freaking delicious. If you like key lime pie, you will love these. It's essentially the same recipe but in bar form and it uses lemon juice in stead of lime. These bars also have the summery addition of blueberries too, but raspberries or blackberries would be just as good. Heck if you want to use lime juice, go ahead and make them your way. These bars are the epitome of summer- they're bright and citrusy, fruity, tangy and creamy. I made them on an ordinary day but they're the perfect treat to enjoy poolside to beat the heat. 

Blueberry Lemon Bars slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

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For the crust: 

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of one lemon

For the filling:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk 
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of prepared pan. Bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

To make the filling, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture is smooth and begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the 3/4 of the blueberries, reserving some for the top. 

Pour the lemon blueberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust then top with the remaining blueberries. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled. Cut into bars and serve. 

"Grace's Sweet Life" Review & A Berry Crumble

I received a cookbook for review from Ulysses Press of Grace's Sweet Life by Grace Massa Langlois. Come to find out, Grace is also a dessert blogger and blogs at La Mia Vita Dolce (My Sweet Life). I was initially intrigued by this book because it's filled with all kinds of authentic Italian desserts from Sicilian cannoli to soft amaretti cookies and panna cotta. I love a good tiramisu and gelato but this cookbook has so much more to offer.

I picked up my book, admired the cover then read the intro about how Grace got her start in blogging. She says, "I spent years coming to terms with an injury that prevented me from returning to my career in business. Then when my husband passed away suddenly, I directed all my energy to my children. I needed to help them deal with the tragedy of losing their father. I had to feel happy not only for my sake but also for theirs. So I turned to cooking, because making and sharing food provided me with so much comfort. The more I cooked, the happier I was." Her daughter encouraged her to do something with her love of food and that led to her blog. I love that something wonderful came from such a devastating loss. 

Click the picture to enlarge it to see recipe details

There are 60 recipes and coordinating color photos in this book. While Grace bakes all the desserts, it's her daughter, Liana, that takes the photos for her blog and her son, Matthew is the champion taste tester- it's a family effort :-). There are so many good looking sweets in this book that it was difficult to decide on what to make first. The recipes are divided up into chapters: Cakes and Cheesecakes, Mini Desserts, Cookies and Confections, Pies and Tarts, Pastries and Fried Desserts, Creams, Custards, Mousses and Souffles, and  lastly Frozen and Fruit Desserts. After reading page by page, I finally settled on a berry crumble. Did you know I don't have a single crumble or crisp recipe on this blog? It's about time I changed that!

One of the first things I noticed about this book is that it is very detailed. Several of the recipes are rather lengthy and go on for several pages which can seem intimidating, but Grace just wants you to succeed so the step-by-step instructions are quite thorough for your benefit. Some of the recipes that caught my eye were: Cannoli Cupcakes with Marsala-Chocolate Whipped Cream, Italian Cream-Filled Doughnuts, Vanilla Cream with Raspberry Coulis and Cheesecake with Brandy-Cherry Sauce. A nice feature of this book is that it has little tidbits of the Italian language in each recipe, so in a way I felt as if Grace was right there alongside me in my kitchen. My one complaint about this cookbook was the font choices, the multi-colored print and the use of italics in each recipe because it made it difficult to read at times. That's a minor issue though and obviously doesn't affect the overall taste of the dessert you're making. 

If you're looking for a cookbook with heart that is a little different than all the rest, then look no further than Grace's Sweet Life. And if  you're looking for a crumble recipe with a ton of flavor in the fruit as well as the nutty crumble, then here it is. It's also patriotic in color and would be a great dessert for any July 4th celebration. This recipe makes a lot of topping so I made a couple extra fruit crumbles. The fruit was perfectly softened and the topping was crunchy, sweet and delicious. Next time, I would decrease the amount of orange zest in the recipe since the orange flavor was more pronounced than I expected, otherwise they were prefect served warm or cold. 

Raspberry, Blueberry & Pistachio-Almond Crumble from Grace's Sweet Life

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Pistachio-Almond Crumble Topping: 

• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup raw pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

Raspberry and Blueberry Filling: 

• 2 cups raspberries
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
• grated zest of 1 orange
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar

To Make the Pistachio-Almond Crumble Topping: In a small bowl, stir together the oats, pistachios, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. 

Rub the butter into the oat mixture with your fingertips until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

To Make The Raspberry-Blueberry Filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter 4 (6.5 ounce) oven proof dishes (I used 6- 5 ounce ramekins). Transfer to a baking sheet and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, gently combine the raspberries,blueberries, sugar, and vanilla extract until combined. Be careful not to crush the berries. 

Add the orange juice and zest, and the salt. Sift the flour over the mixture and gently stir to just combine. 

Assembly: Divide the filling evenly among the prepared dishes. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the filling, then evenly divide the pistachio-almond topping among the dishes. 

Bake until the juices start to bubble and the topping is crisp and golden brown, 25-35 minutes. 

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and allow the crumbles to cool until warm. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if desired. 

Order your copy of Grace's Sweet Life today!

Homemade Granola In Minutes

I have a quickie recipe for you today that would be perfect for Mother's Day or any day of the week. I'm talking about homemade granola. Most granola recipes have you bake the oat mixture in a low oven for about an hour or more, then you have to run to the oven every ten to fifteen minutes to stir it all up. And if you're anything like me you run to the oven when the annoying timer goes off, you open the oven door, pull the rack out being oh so careful to turn the mixture with the spatula only to knock the granola out of the pan and scatter all over your oven. And since it's so dang hot in there, you have to wait til the hour is up before you can clean it and you wind up with burnt little granola crispies on the bottom of your oven. Sounds like fun right? NOT. 

This recipe is easy peasy and made on the stove top in a large skillet in less that 20 minutes. It comes from my bloggy friend Danelle of Let's Dish. I've made several of her recipes and I've never been disappointed in any of them. I've made this recipe three times already and enjoyed it every single time. The first time I made it with dried cranberries, the second time I used dried cherries, blueberries and banana chips for crunch and the third batch I made for my mom. She didn't want coconut so we left that out and added cashews instead of almonds. Basically you can make it any way you want  by switching up the nuts and fruits and have it still turn out delicious. I especially love the unexpected addition of the sesame and sunflower seeds- don't leave those out. 

My favorite way to eat it is standing in the pantry, with the door still open, and scooping out little pinchfuls of the crunchy nuggets and chewy fruit. One nibble, two nibbles, four nibbles later, then I finally dish myself up a proper serving with yogurt and I turn it into a parfait with fresh fruit. The cool and creamy, the crunchy, the chewy, the burst of fresh fruit, the nuttiness. Oh, it's just so good! You can have it as a snack, for breakfast, or dessert anytime of year. One of the best parts is that it makes a healthy amount and stays fresh in the pantry in an airtight container for weeks (if it lasts that long). You can make it now and serve it up this weekend. If you ever have overnight guests it would be a nice addition to a continental breakfast like my friend Heather of Kitchen Concoctions set up. It would also make a thoughtful gift packaged up in a jar with a pretty label and a ribbon. It's certainly not a gift I'd refuse. 

Skillet Granola adapted from Let's Dish

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• 4 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup sunflower kernels
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup dried fruit

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the honey, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extracts.  Add the oats, nuts, coconut, sunflower kernels and sesame seeds to the pan and stir until well coated with the butter/sugar mixture.  

Continue cooking, stirring frequently until granola is a dark golden brown, 10-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in dried fruit.  Pour onto a cookie sheet and allow to cool completely.