TWD: Granola Grabbers

After looking at the ingredient list for this week’s TWD event, I came close to passing it by. Granola and wheat germ were the problems. Now, I like both of them, but they aren’t staples in my pantry and they are both rather costly. I could have made my own granola, I suppose, but with work projects and out-of-town guests, there just wasn’t the time. So, I made myself a deal. If I found usable granola at Trader Joe’s, I would spring for the wheat germ.

We are still a one-Trader Joe’s town, and when I made my weekly visit, I discovered that they had been making improvements (?) by shifting their inventory. Gone was the wide selection of granola. The only non-fruit-granola choice I had was Ginger, Almond, and Cashew Granola. So, that became the base of my cookies. On to the megamart for the wheat germ. $6.00 for a jar. $6.00? Must be made of gold. After removing the measly 1/3 cup, the jar went into cold storage to extend its shelf life.

I made a few other changes. No raisins in cookies in this house, so chocolate chips were substituted instead, although I could have gotten away with currants. If I make these again, I will use the currants. In place of sweetened coconut, I used unsweetened that I had on hand. There was agreement that the cookies had the right amount of sweetness, and I believe the unsweetened coconut contributed to that observation.

All the remaining ingredients were the same. Instruction-wise, I just folded the butter-sugar-flour mixture into the granola-nut mixture by hand since I didn’t want to crush anything. Using a small ice cream scoop, I dished the cookies onto the cookie sheets, did some minor shaping, and then baked them for about 11 minutes at 375F.

Taster ratings were as follows:

Daughter: good but not a cookie she would request; peanuts & coconut were overpowering

Grandma: good but wished there were raisins added as well

Moi: good but will use a different granola next time, since the ginger was too strong. Great for breakfast, though!

We all agreed that the cookies tasted better the next day, when the flavors had a chance to blend and mellow.

While this wasn’t a cookie I would have independently chosen to make, I’m glad I had the chance to try them out. Thanks to Michelle, of Bad Girl Baking, for choosing the Granola Grabbers. It will be interesting to see all the comments and variations from the other TWD Bakers this week.