Handmade Holiday

Each year at Christmas I like to make a handmade gift.  I have made candles, notecards, decadent chocolate truffles, soap, potted paper whites among the favorites over the years.  For more ideas on handmade gifts, you can check out this post about Getting Organized for the Holidays.  I love the creative process of brainstorming what this year’s item will be and how it will be packaged.  It is thoughtful, from the heart, and always one of a kind.  This year I decided on Cranberry Walnut Granola.  It’s a version of my Simple Granola recipe only spiced up for the holidays.  I hope this inspires you to create a little handmade gift to share with those you love this holiday season.

The pieces to this gift are quite simple.  I bought 10 oz. Weck jars (similar), striped spoons, and the ingredients for the granola.  My good friend Alexis Murphy made the adorable gift stickers and I assembled it all with red and white baker’s twine.  What made this recipe special was the addition of unsweetened dehydrated cranberries.  They stay whole and aren’t doused in tons of added sugar.  Clean and simple.  The recipe below makes enough for five 10 oz. jars.  I easily quadrupled the recipe to make 20 gifts.

Cranberry Walnut Granola

3 cups old fashioned oats (gluten-free are good too)

3/4 c. almond flour

1/3 c. coconut oil, melted

1 c. raw walnuts, chopped

2/3 c. pure maple syrup

2 tbsp. chia seeds

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. vanilla

a pinch of sea salt

1 c. whole dehydrated cranberries, unsweetened

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a large sheet pan with coconut oil to coat.  Combine the first 9 ingredients on the sheet pan and toss well until the mixture is well coated.  Evenly distribute on the sheet pan in one layer. Bake for 28-30 minutes, turning once halfway.  It is very important not to overcook.  Remove front the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  When completely cooled, toss in the cranberries and mix.  Merry Christmas!