i have been a busy little elf in the kitchen this morning and i cannot wait to share my yummy project with you!

but first of all, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  this season, i have been more into the holiday cheer than ever before.  i put up my tree earlier than i ever have, and really decked it out, actually buying some new decorations, which i haven’t done in ages.  i’m usually so busy with christmas concerts and handel messiahs that all i can do is bah humbug fa la la la la my way through the season.  but this year i have a respite!  only 10 concerts, and 7 of them are this weekend.  GIT ‘ER DUN!  (um, that’s hillbilly for let’s do this!)

this morning, i was inspired to make a granola ball that has superfood powers baked right in.  i met two lovely women this summer, who live in santa fe (lucky), and they were looking for the perfect granola bar, or ball, recipe.  sounds like a job for pixy!  i’ve been so excited to dig in and tweak my old recipe, and make some chemistry in the kitchen!

oooh!  i smell them in the oven now…they might be done!  back in a sec!

okay, the bars didn’t really turn out, but the balls are AWESOME!  so here’s the recipe.

but first, a granola ball selfie…

so cute, and so proud of her cranberries.

again, i apologize for the lack of a proper recipe template.  i’m gonna work on that over the break, i promise.  this looks like a lot of steps, but i’m just being verbose.

SUPERFOOD GRANOLA BALLS

•  cook 1 cup rinsed quinoa in 2 cups water for 15 minutes, or until the water is evaporated from the pan.  drain in a fine mesh sieve just in case. the final product will be more like 2 cups cooked quinoa.  drop it into a large bowl.
• add 3 cups uncooked oats (i use gluten-free because i’m fancy)
• add 1/2 cup hemp seeds or ground flax seeds
• add 1/2-1 cup any kind of nuts or seeds you’d like to add: i love sliced raw almonds, pepitas, sesame seeds, etc.  or leave out the nuts.
• add dried fruit of any kind: i used cranberries and dates in this one, but i love golden raisins, dried cherries, and apricots, too.  or skip the dried fruit and just go straight for chocolate chips or cacao nibs!
• here’s where you can add some superfood powder to fortify your granola experience and make your food WORK FOR YOU!  add 2 Tablespoons ACAI POWDER.  you won’t taste it and it is a strong antioxidant, and we all need those!  i bought my acai powder at http://www.thrivemarket.com.  but you can also find it in your natural/organic foods section of your local store…
• mix all together and let it hang out while making the syrup.
• in a small saucepan, melt 8 Tablespoons of your favorite oil: coconut, butter, ghee, whatever.  it’s a lot of oil, but you’re making like a million balls.  you’re gonna be fine.
• add 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses (high in vitamins and minerals, and lower in glycemic index than sugar.  and delicious.  and it was my dad’s favorite thing, so it’s gotta be good, right?)
• add 2-3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons garam masala (this is the secret, magical ingredient that makes my granola sooooo good.  i probably stole this idea from a famous chef, but i don’t remember who.)  season to taste.  you can always add more after you mix it all together.
• after it’s all melted and gooey, mix all together and TASTE.  make sure it tastes good.  you can tweak any ingredient you like at this point.
• finally, add a flax egg, or an egg substitute.  or a regular egg white.  this will help bind it all together.
• roll into balls and bake on a parchment paper-lined pan at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the balls are nice and brown and crunchy on the outside.

you can freeze these and just lay a few on the counter in the morning while you’re showering, and they’ll be nice and soft and ready to eat with your coffee.

enjoy!!!