Affogato Granola

Have you ever had an affogato? In Italian, it means "drowned" -- because the vanilla gelato is drowning in espresso. It's like the ultimate coffee ice cream, with warm gelato melting the gelato, you can't help by eat it quickly!

More often than not, at home that is our go-to dessert. We always have Vanilla gelato in the freezer, and I am pretty sure we would die without espresso -- so that's a MUST! The only *possible* flaw with affogato is that there isn't a mix of textures. I often serve it with biscotti, so there is a crunchy element that pairs well.

I got to thinking about how I can recreate the flavors of affogato in a granola. Either to be eaten in the morning with yogurt and my coffee, or to top affogato with! I thought about how the espresso flavor would be easy to add, but what about the creamy, milk flavors of gelato?

I decided to add milk powder! It was my first time using it, but have read about how people like Christina Tosi (Milk Bar) and others LOVE it in baked goods. I have a local market called Honest Weight Food Co-Op that has bulk EVERYTHING, so I was able to get just a few tablespoons, meaning no waste and saving money on a new ingredient! I have to say -- it gave the perfect flavor that I was looking for! I also added a small amount of white chocolate chunks to also mimic that milky flavor. This granola will definitely be in my homemade granola routine -- I hope you try it!

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)

• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

• 1 tablespoon dried milk powder

• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

• ½ cup avocado oil

• ½ cup Slate Valley Farms Coffee Maple Syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup white chocolate chunks

• 1/4 cup raw cocoa nibs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, salt, milk powder and espresso powder. Stir to blend.

Pour in the oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat is lightly coated.

Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.

Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway, careful not to let it burn. The granola will further crisp up as it cools.

Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). Top with the white chocolate chunks and cocoa nibs. Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.

NOTES

Recipe adapted Cookie and Kate’s granola recipe