Cooking on a Whim - Nutella Granola, Corned Beef Hash and Happy Hour Cookies

Cooking and blogging continue to be sporadic…lately, the mood strikes when I see something on one of the blogs I follow or in my Facebook newsfeed. I really wanted to Cook the Cover of Bon Appetit this month (Savory Short-Rib Beef Pies), but had just made Natchitoches Meat Pies and wasn't motivated enough to track down boneless beef short ribs after striking out at the local market.

My latest whim was inspired by David Lebovitz' Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola. I like snacking on granola occasionally, but I thought it would be fun to make a special batch to ship to Tennessee to take on the road for an out of town baseball tournament. I adapted the recipe to include a few of his favorites - Nutella, bananas, coffee, and pineapple. Unfortunately, since this was a last-minute whim, and without thought to overnight shipping cost, two pounds of granola will now be waiting on the doorstep when he arrives home! Sorry FedEx, not paying $90!

I have quickly become addicted to my Nutella version, but would like to try David's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip version. Please consult his blog for the original recipe and preparation method, but this is a list of what I used in my adaptation (I added the coffee to the pan when I warmed the Nutella, orange honey and brown sugar):

Nutella Granola 

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw macadamia nuts, very coarsely chopped
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup banana chips
3/4 cup dried pineapple
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground coffee
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup orange honey
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons water

A few other recent whims included Bon Appetit's Corned Beef Hash, which I made for St. Patrick's Day dinner….

And Bon Appetit's Savory Black Pepper and Parmesan Cookies, to share at our community's weekly happy hour. 

Walking back from the clubhouse, after happy hour, I caught a glimpse of crisp white sails against the dark sky, and ran inside to grab my camera…Spring was here last week, but has been a no-show this week!