Baking Spree!

I suppose three items don't really count as a "spree", but it is the most I've baked all summer.  In the past few days I've made bread, Earl Grey tea cookies, and granola. 

This bread is from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day it is, by far, the easiest bread recipe on the face of the earth.  I've baked bread from the started almost every day and it has turned out wonderfully every time.  The crust is crusty, the inside has the perfect amount of heaviness, and my kitchen was filled with a wonderfully golden yeasty smell.  Sam paid me the ultimate compliment by saying this bread is "as good as Grandma's".  I'll certainly be purchasing this book in the future.

Next, Earl Grey Tea cookies from Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook:

This cookie is perfect for dunking in tea; a bit like biscotti except meant for tea!  It is not too sweet (in fact, it seems slightly savory) and has a buttery, shortbread-like texture.  They were a hit at work and I plan on making some more in the near future. 

Finally, the granola.  A recipe of my own concoction:

Granola-Goodness

Ingredients 

4 C. oats

1 C. wheat germ

4 T. brown sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 C. maple syrup

6 T. olive oil

1/2 T. cinnamon

2 T. water

2/3 C. slivered almonds

2/3 C. shredded coconut

2/3 C. Craisins

1/3 C. banana chips

1/3 C. pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and coat pan with cooking spray (or rub butter on it like I did).  Mix oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, salt, and nuts in a bowl.  Next bring syrup, oil, water, and cinnamon to a simmer and then drizzle onto oat mixture and stir.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Then stir in the coconut, Craisins, banana chips, and pumpkin seeds, and bake another 30 minutes.

Then enjoy the yummy goodness!