Trees of taffy, mushrooms of whip cream, pumpkins filled with sugar cubes, and of course a waterfall of chocolate. This is every childs’ dream, and describes the Wonka Factory from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (one of my favorite childhood movies).
Every child seems to be fascinated with sweets, especially for breakfast. Sadly this doesn’t improve any as we age. The difference becomes now there is no mother telling us that cake is not for breakfast. We grasp at self-control, but if you are anything like myself,that is waiting until 10 o’clock to have a piece of tart with that mid-morning coffee (justifiable).
Well this morning, I broke all the rules. I opened the baking cabinet and got out the chocolate before it was even 7 am (gasps). I know, two cardinal sins committed: up before 7 am on a summer day and having sugary deliciousness for breakfast. “Now what did I plan on making that was so rich and delicious?” you might ask yourself. In all honesty, it was ooey and gooey, and oh soooo healthy. Healthy, How? Chocolate Cheesecake isn’t healthy and neither is a triple chocolate chunk cookie. But I did not create these delicacies; I made chocolate almond coconut granola using a recipe similar to the one found on Love and Olive Oil.
It tasted amazing! It did not exhibit an over the top chocolate flavor like triple chocolate brownies (unless you add a few more chocolate chips, which I did because I am a kid in the Wonka Factory river). The almonds and oats gave it the perfect crunch, and the coconut added a little fruity zest. I used fresh honey (thank you Simon family) for the sweetener and coconut oil for the fat. The Dutch processed cocoa powder as well as bittersweet chocolate from Trader Joes rounded out the chocolate flavor and add added those antioxidants.
Every child seems to be fascinated with sweets, especially for breakfast. Sadly this doesn’t improve any as we age. The difference becomes now there is no mother telling us that cake is not for breakfast. We grasp at self-control, but if you are anything like myself,that is waiting until 10 o’clock to have a piece of tart with that mid-morning coffee (justifiable).
Well this morning, I broke all the rules. I opened the baking cabinet and got out the chocolate before it was even 7 am (gasps). I know, two cardinal sins committed: up before 7 am on a summer day and having sugary deliciousness for breakfast. “Now what did I plan on making that was so rich and delicious?” you might ask yourself. In all honesty, it was ooey and gooey, and oh soooo healthy. Healthy, How? Chocolate Cheesecake isn’t healthy and neither is a triple chocolate chunk cookie. But I did not create these delicacies; I made chocolate almond coconut granola using a recipe similar to the one found on Love and Olive Oil.
It tasted amazing! It did not exhibit an over the top chocolate flavor like triple chocolate brownies (unless you add a few more chocolate chips, which I did because I am a kid in the Wonka Factory river). The almonds and oats gave it the perfect crunch, and the coconut added a little fruity zest. I used fresh honey (thank you Simon family) for the sweetener and coconut oil for the fat. The Dutch processed cocoa powder as well as bittersweet chocolate from Trader Joes rounded out the chocolate flavor and add added those antioxidants.
All in all, it was a surprisingly somewhat healthy start to a day. I mean it has healthy fats, good carbs and fiber, as well as many other nutrients. I sprinkled (scooped generously) the granola on top of a bowl of greek yogurt, bananas, and raspberries, creating the near perfect breakfast. A little coffee and someone to share it with and it was quite a lovely morning. It was decadent, delicious, and to die for. Now if only there was a chocolate factory somewhere in New Mexico with a waterfall of chocolate…
I hope you are inspired to making something chocolate in the near future. I know I cannot wait for the next adventure in the kitchen or maybe I will eat out next.
The Craving Conn.
The Craving Conn.