Hi Y’all!!

I hope everyone is doing well 🙂

Things have been quite busy here in Texas. It’s our crazy time of year at work which usually leaves us literally running out the door around 6am while shooting back a shot of espresso just to make it through the day.

For those of you who don’t know about my life outside of Meals With Mel, my husband and I run our own school fundraising business called Big Kahuna Fundraising. Um Yes…. We are the people who go to your kid’s school and tell them about all the awesome prizes they can win by selling things like cookie dough, gift wrap, and kitchen items to help raise money for their school.

Over the past month and a half now we’ve been in prime kickoff season doing school fundraiser assemblies all across North Texas. Now as the season has transitioned from summer to autumn my job has now transitioned from fundraiser kickoffs to fundraiser deliveries (meaning I go to the schools and stay all day making sure all the fundraiser orders get picked up).

During delivery season there isn’t much time to eat and no such thing as a “lunch hour” we are constantly on the move.  While we don’t always have time to eat I do try to keep things like my Blueberry Nut Crunch Granola, Green Apples, or Peanuts and Candy Corn on hand for that little boost to help make it through the day.

Recently, after an early morning kickoff I was munching on some of my Blueberry Nut Crunch Granola and finding myself in need of serious caffeine boost. That’s when I had an epiphany.

I need to make a coffee flavored granola and since nothing goes with coffee better than chocolate lets drizzle that coffee granola with a DARK CHOCOLATE.  I’ll call it Café Mocha Granola.

This delicious Café Mocha Granola is perfectly addicting and every time I pass through the kitchen I find myself grabbing another piece.  My favorite way to enjoy this Café Mocha Granola is dipped in my morning espresso….  As I’m running out the door of course 🙂

Enjoy!

Café Mocha Granola

Ingredients:

3 Cups Old Fashion Rolled Oats

1/3 Cup Flaxseed Meal

1 Cup Pecans, roughly chopped

1 Cup Almonds, divided

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt (I use Morton’s Iodized Sea Salt)

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, packed

1/3 Cup Honey

3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

2 Tablespoons Instant Espresso Powder

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips, Melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl add the honey, coconut oil, cinnamon, and instant espresso powder.  Stir to combine then heat in the microwave for 45 seconds.  Add the vanilla and set aside.

In a large bowl add the oats, flaxseed meal, pecans, salt, 1/2 cup of almonds roughly chopped, and brown sugar.  Pulse the other 1/2 cup of almonds in a food processor until finely chopped then add to the oats.  Stir to combine.

Pour the honey-coffee mixture over the oats mixture and stir to evenly coat.  Spread the granola mixture on to a baking sheet lined with a silicon baking mat then pack the granola into one even layer (I use a piece of foil and press down on the top of the granola until its packed into one in layer.)

Bake the granola for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  After 10 minutes quickly remove the granola from the oven and toss.  Then carefully pack the granola back into 1 even layer and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Once the granola had cooled completely (after about 1 hour) drizzle the top with melted dark chocolate and then allow the chocolate to harden.  Break the granola into chunks and store in an air tight container.