A Batter Bowl & A Wooden Spoon by Dana Williams

I’m a bit of an equipment junkie. Having spent the better part of the last twenty years working in kitchen stores, I’ve developed an extreme affection for cooking/baking tools and small electrics! Customers who ask me questions like “Do I really need this avocado slicer?” will be answered with a resounding “Absolutely!” I’d be lost without my stand mixer, my food processor, my VitaMix and my juicer.

So, that being said, my new mini obsession is baking without plugging in a single thing. My current two favorite pieces of “equipment” are my heavy beech French mixing spoon and my Simon Pearce batter bowl. Recently, I’ve turned out each of the following recipes more than a few times. Any recipe that calls for melted butter is usually pretty simple to mix up without a stand or hand mixer. My “Mom’s Best Granola” (self proclaimed!) starts with melted coconut oil mixed with cinnamon, honey and vanilla. Your kitchen will smell heavenly! These little Praline cookies come together in a flash and are buttery, crunchy and totally delicious. Try them both and let me know how you like them!

Mom’s Best Granola

Preheat oven to 325.
1 1/2 c rolled oats
1 c chopped walnuts
1 c sliced almonds
1 c unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 t sea salt
Combine oats, walnuts, almonds, salt and coconut in bowl.
Combine coconut oil, cinnamon, honey and vanilla in small sauce pan. Pour over combined oat mixture and mix well. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 20 – 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Let cool on parchment paper and store at room temp.

Praline Cookies

Preheat oven to 375
1/2 c butter – melted
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 egg – lightly beaten
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
Powdered sugar
Mix first six ingredients together and then stir in pecans. Using a small cookie scoop, roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8 – 10 minutes until they just start to brown on edges. Remove from oven, let cool 2 minutes and dust liberally with powdered sugar. Makes 30 cookies.