I had never made granola before, but I was excited to experiment. I recently ate some granola with chocolate in it, and loved the combination. The addition of the chocolate basically turns this granola into a deconstructed oatmeal cookie. The toastiness of the oats and the pecans, the saltiness of the pecans and the sweetness of the coconut are all balanced with the depth and bitterness of the dark chocolate. I decided to add some bourbon to further deepen and pull together the flavors. The base of this recipe comes from Alton Brown’s recipe for granola. I brought this dish to a breakfast work event and served it with berries and yogurt. A coworker of mine said, “This completes my neural pathways.” A pretty awesome compliment, indeed.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Coconut Granola

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 1 cup dried shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, pecans, coconut and brown sugar.
3. In another bowl, mix together maple syrup, bourbon, vegetable oil and salt.
4. Mix together dry and wet ingredients.
5. Pour mixture out onto a cookie sheet and spread evenly.
6. Cook granola for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The granola should be evenly browned.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool.
8. Stir in chocolate chunks.
9. Store in a cool, dry place.
10. Enjoy!