Afleveringen
-
I highly recommend listening to the audio version of the article this week.
Probably Worth Sharing is a reader-supported publication. Please consider a free or paid subscription to support my work.
I like dog sitting for my friends. I try to have a dog here every month. I get to hang out with my dog friends, support my human friends when they travel â and enjoy freedom and flexibility of not having my own dog. Everybody wins.
Some dogs, like Fionn, are a treat. Fionn wakes up when I wake up. Fionn walks where I walk, for however long I walk. Once I figured out that Fionn preferred eating off a silicone mat we had no issues with food. Heâs just so chill.
Penny, on the other hand, is a terrorist.
You may remember Penny, my friend Larysaâs dog, from my very traumatic panettone making experience last Christmas. I was supposed to watch Penny again this week â but it worked out that our mutual friend Marci is in town from Calgary and took over dog sitting duties.
Larysa shared she was putting together a Google Doc on how to take care of Penny. Let the record reflect that I did not get a Google Doc any of the times Iâve had Penny.
âHow honest are you going to be with Marci?â I asked
âI am going to stick to the facts, Marko.â Larysa replied.
âThis means I need to write Marci an honest guide, doesnât it?â
How to take care of Penny Wood
An honest guide to your faithless companion
Penny Wood is a 3 year old miniature goldendoodle. If she was a Golden Girl she would be Sofia.
When you first meet Penny, she will greet you with joy and enthusiasm to establish a false sense of security. This is misplaced. She will perform cooperation in front of Larysa and Dave. She will make you believe she wants belly rubs and treats. Her family will leave with the full faith of her cooperation.
This is done to gain your trust and lower your guard.
This is a lie.
The Morning
Penny likes to wake you up at 6:30am by licking your face and jingling her collar. She will need to be let out.
When you try to feed her her normal food she will rebel. This is the beginning of her hunger strike, see âfeeding Pennyâ below. After she turns her nose up at her food you may attempt to take her for a 30â45 minute walk. See âwalking Pennyâ below.
Depending on the number of days youâve spent with Penny, she will either poop relatively soon into her walk. Or after 45 minutes. Or not at all until she sees home, at which point she will turn you around so she may poop. Itâs most likely that Penny will wait until your shoes are off. She will wait until you collapse, exasperated, onto the couch. And then she will ask to go out 5 minutes after returning home.
On your first day you should expect her to hold it in. She is shy around new humans and would prefer to be constipated.
The Afternoon
Penny is very smart and will need to be entertained.
If she is feeling cooperative, Penny will like a long walk on a trail. Most likely Penny will want to sit with you on the couch and watch movies.
Penny specifically likes movies and TV shows with horses and horse like creatures, such as:
* The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended editions)
* The Harry Potter series (she likes the centaurs)
* Seabiscuit
* Mulan (both live action and animated)
* Tangled
* Any Indiana Jones Movie, except the fourth one
I encourage you to explore movies with horses so we can further expand the list of entertainment options.
For a non-horse option, The Sound of Music is a thrilling watch if only for the entertainment of How do you solve a problem like Maria? The further into your journey with Penny the funnier it will be.
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!
What doesnât kill you makes you funny.
The Evening
Penny will nap on the couch until her evening walk, which will range from 5 to 60 minutes depending on how she feels like cooperating. See âWalking Pennyâ below.
She is likely to poop on her evening walk, but she is also likely not to poop. Sheâs likely to walk five steps and stop. Sheâs likely to have a jaunty prance around the neighbourhood.
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
Bedtime
Penny will insist on sleeping in your bed with you. Penny will sleep directly in the middle of the bed. She will not move, steadfast in her position at the centre of the universe and the centre of the duvet. Do not mistake her size for lack of force. If you do not beat Penny to the duvet, it is her duvet now. You must enjoy the corner of the blanket she allows you to have.
Upon the completion of her hunger strike, around 2:30am, she will lick your face to be taken downstairs to eat her food she has ignored for the whole day.
Shortly after you take her downstairs for her midnight snack, and just as you re-enter a REM cycle, her AirTag will begin to beep. âAn unknown AirTag is traveling with you.â You should consider removing her collar and placing it in another room before bed.
Feeding Penny
Allegedly, Penny is to eat her dry food both morning and evening.
On your first day you can expect Penny to put up a hunger strike. She will want your food. She will want special food. Do not give in to her demands.
You may be tempted to sprinkle crumbled liver treats on her food. This is a trap.
Should you be a fool and make Penny buckwheat and white cheddar crackers as a treat (recipe below), she will come to expect gourmet food at every meal. Penny has exquisite taste, and she does not like eating leftovers. She does not like eating the same food at every meal.
Should you try to bribe her with peanut butter it may work for one meal, perhaps two, but not three. You may then try roasted pumpkin, which will succeed in giving you hope, only to crush your hopes and dreams when she refuses it the next day. Unless you plan to grate carrots on Monday, roast apples on Tuesday, and find a similar collection of dog safe dry food supplementation that will keep her entertained for two weeks, you will fail.
She will take your sleep from you. She will take your spirit from you. And then she will eat your panettone with chocolate and you will have to call the emergency vet.
Instead: allow Penny to complete the hunger strike and ensure she only eats her food.
And by no means should you trust Penny with food left on the counter. You think you can take a shower faster than she can eat a loaf of bread two Pennys in size?
She accepts your challenge.
Walking Penny
Penny has opinions about how, where, when, and why she should walk. Allegedly, this has been improved through a rigorous training programme.
When Penny does not like a direction you are taking, such as it having an unfamiliar or unpleasant smell, the sun being in her eyes, the sun being behind a cloud, the breeze creating a risk of messing up her curls, or simply because itâs the direction you choose, she will sit down.
While sitting down Penny gains the weight of an elephant. It is an extraordinary power only she possesses. She cannot be moved.
You may be tempted to fill a fanny pack with liver treats and bribe her. She is too smart for this. And she is bored of her treats. She will walk to the treat, eat it, and then sit back down. You may try to bend over and encourage her to walk by moving the treat in front of her, but all this will do is make you the Hunchback of Waterloo.
Penny got the memo, she simply disagrees with it.
After ten minutes of this you will feel exasperated and traumatized. Penny will then decide she is happy to walk and lead the way. What Penny craves above all else is power.
In case of emergencies, blueberries â or bribe-berries as I now call them â make an effective motivator.
Leaving the house without Penny
You may leave the house without Penny provided that you have put all of your food away. Penny, surprisingly, likes her crate and will happily sleep in there while you are gone.
Penny will use this opportunity to show you that she does not, in fact, need you.
You need her.
This is her house, and yes â you can close the door on your way out.
Recipe
Yes, I cook for the dogs when Iâm dog sitting. If you have dogs in your life I recommend making these treats. They will love you forever. Their owners will grow to resent you as their dogs increasingly demand gourmet food.
Buckwheat & Cheddar Crackers for Dogs
I modified this recipe based on the âCheddar and Parsley Bones for Barneyâ in Notes From A Small Kitchen Island by Debora Robertson. This is an exceptionally well written and hilarious book you should buy.
Iâve made this recipe many times, for many dogs. Iâve found Deboraâs recipe too sticky to roll out, and too fibrous to cut into dog-bone shapes. I realized that the dogs donât care if they are bone shaped. You care that they are bone shaped. Instagram cares they are bone shaped.
But this is about bringing joy to a dog, and smushing them into circles makes this 10 minutes of effort instead of half a day of frustration. Penny is frustrating you enough. Iâve also revised the recipe volume to get 3 batches from one bag of Bobâs Red Mill Buckwheat Flour, and the shaping method to make circles.
They smell so good you may want to eat them, and they are safe for human consumption, but I havenât tried them.
These crackers are square because I was still learning how best to make them at the time of recording. But look how happy he is!
Ingredients
* 210g buckwheat flour
* 100g parsley, finely chopped
* 120g | 1 large carrot, finely grated
* 50g Cheddar cheese, finely grated
* 45ml | 3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
* 5 tbsp | 75ml hot (just off the boil) water
Method
Before starting: Pre-heat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner (you must use parchment!).
Mix the dry ingredients: Add the buckwheat flour, parsley, carrot, and cheddar to a medium bowl. Toss everything to combine.
Add the wet ingredients: Add the olive oil and hot water. Stir with a fork until a stiff dough forms.
Form into around 24 balls and smush: The buckwheat will stick to you and everything you touch, so keep your hands lightly wet with clean water to make this part easy.
Divide into 24 balls, 25g | 1 tbsp each.
Place the dough balls onto the parchment paper, 3 inches apart (make a 4x3 grid on each baking sheet). Smush down into a circle with lightly wet hands. You can try using the bottom of a glass but the dough will just stick to the glass.
Bake: Bake for 35â40 minutes until golden brown and crisp, the smell filling the air, and the dog staring at the oven door as if itâs a movie with horses.
Allow to cool fully before giving to a dog.
Store: Store in an airtight container for a week, or in the freezer for 3 months.
If you really want dog bone shapes for Instagram: Place everything into a food processor except the oil and water, and blitz until a fine powder. Add the oil and most of the water, adding more water until you have a stiff dough. Roll out between two parchment sheets until 1/4" thick and use a dog-bone shaped cookie cutter to cut. Re-roll the scraps. Following the baking directions above.
Iâd love to hear from you in the comments â do you cook for dogs? What treats do you make? And how do you solve a problem like Maria?
And if you enjoyed this post, please hit the heart button to let me know.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit probablyworthsharing.substack.com -
Probably Worth Sharing is a reader supported publication, please consider a free or paid subscription to support my work and enable me to buy fancy beans.
Brothy Beans
Website recipe âș
Brothy beans is my go-to cooking method for making beans. I learned about it, like many people, in Carla Lalli Musicâs video (where she learned about it from another chef). Iâve been making all of my beans this way for years now, hereâs how I do it.
Ingredients
* 500g | 1lb dried beans
* 1 small piece of kombu
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 lemon, cut in half
* 1 onion or shallot, cut in half
* 1 head of garlic, cut in half across the equator
* 125ml | 1/2 cup olive oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Red wine vinegar or lemon juice to taste
Soak your beans overnight
Rinse your beans and remove any stones if present. Place the beans in a large bowl, add a small piece of kombu, and fill with clean, cold water to cover the beans by at least 2â. Depending on how old your beans are they may need more or less soaking time, minimum of 4 hours but overnight is best. The beans will double in size so make sure your bowl is large enough.
Cooking
Remove the kombu â do not cook the kombu, it will become bitter.
Pour the beans and bean soaking liquid into a large pot. Add more water to cover by at least 2 inches.
I repeat: remove the kombu before cooking! Itâs the kind of bitterness you canât treat, like a relationship too far gone to salvage.
Bring to a boil.
This will trigger some proteins in the beans to foam, similar to boiling meat for stock. Skim off the foam and reduce to a simmer. Once the beans stops foaming, add the other ingredients. If you add ingredients like olive oil or herbs before all the foam is gone youâll just be scraping them away.Add:
* 1 tsp of of salt and pepper to taste
* A lemon cut in half
* An onion or shallot, cut in half
* A head of garlic, cut in half
* A bay leaf or two
* 1/2 cup of olive oil
* Optionally 2 tsp of dried herbs â thyme, oregano, or rosemary
* Optionally, if you have a carrot or celery kicking around you can add those too
Reduce to low, add a lid slightly ajar, and gently simmer on low for at least 2 hours, longer if you have time, until the beans are soft all the way through. Add more water if needed during the cooking time. Remove the vegetables. Adjust with salt, pepper, and acid.You can separate the beans from the broth and use them in any recipe that calls for that type of bean. You can use the broth as you would any broth. It will be rich and flavourful. Or you can eat them together as a soup â perfect with olive oil fried bread and some Parmesan.Beans keep well in the fridge for a 3â5 days. Beans can be frozen in their broth for a long time. Reheat gently.
Baked Beans
Website recipe âș
If you like BBQ sauce, youâll love home made baked beans. These are so delicious youâll want them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is a great entry point for learning how good beans can be at home. These are Whipple beans from Rancho Gordo â most often baked beans are made with navy beans (which are white, because food is confusing). If you have a favourite home-made BBQ sauce recipe, thatâs a great way to riff on the flavours.
Ingredients
* 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters
* A head of garlic, peeled and smashed
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1/2 cup molasses (or maple syrup or honey if youâre feeling fancy)
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 1 tbsp smoked paprika
* 1 or 2 bay leaves
* 1 tbsp mustard (I like grainy)
* 2 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
* 1 tbsp garlic powder
* 1/2 Tsp chili flake
* 2 tsp salt
* A lot of black pepper
Method
Soak your beans overnight, covered with 2â water, with a piece of kombu (seaweed, to remove the farts through the power of enzymes).Remove the kombu before cooking.Transfer the beans and soaking liquid to a large pot. Add more water so the beans are covered by at least 2â. If you missed the part about removing the kombu, remove it now. If you cook it it will become very bitter.Bring the beans to a boil and skim off the foam (itâs just protein). Reduce to a simmer, then add everything else. If youâve ever made your own BBQ sauce youâll recognize the profile, and you can tweak this to your tastes.Simmer for at least 3 hours, which can be done uncovered on the stove or in the oven at 275°F. The beans should soft and cooked all the way through, and the liquid very thick and sticky. If the liquid evaporates too quickly you can add more water.Taste the sauce and adjust for salt, heat, sweetness (add brown sugar if sour), and acidity (more ACV if dull/flat/sweet).Eat with toast, or make a full English, or just devour them out of the bowl like I did while writing these notes. They are addictive.
Hummus
Iâve tried what feels like every recipe for hummus. Everyone has their own way. In Kitchener we have a lot of great Middle Eastern restaurants, and everyone has their favourite hummus: Arabesque, for their tahini-forward, thick-but-silky smooth hummus. La Casbah, for their garlic and lemon-forward whipped hummus. Black Market Hummus, which is chickpea-forward and textured. Al Madinaâs, which is lemony and deeply flavoured.
I donât peel my chickpeas, itâs too much work and fiber is good for you. On Home Cooking, Samin Nosrat recommends to use a food processor, not a blender, and to process for a full 2 minutes to get silky smooth hummus â and I can tell you that it works. Itâs what I do now. You can use a blender, the blender is easy, but the food processor is superior if you have one.
Cooking your own chickpeas means you can introduce so much more flavour into the hummus. You can also make a large batch of chickpeas at once, save some for salads, for crispy chickpeas, for shakshuka, or freeze them for later. Of course, you can use canned.
Hereâs how I make my hummus. You can make your hummus however you like! Please share your hummus in the comments, as we should all be open minded to trying different kinds of hummus. One world, many hummus.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups of cooked chickpeas (cooked in the brothy bean method, or 1 can)
* 1/2 cup bean broth (approximately)
* 1/3 cup tahini
* 2 garlic cloves (this is garlic-forward, use 1 clove if youâre not a garlic person)
* 2 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/4 cup good olive oil (for serving)
* 1 tsp tomato powder (optional)
* 1 tsp sweet paprika (optional)
Method:
Add the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in the food processor and blend for 2 minutes. Check your taste and texture:
* If itâs too thick, add some bean broth
* If itâs too tahini-forward, add more lemon juice
* If itâs too lemony, add more tahini
* If the garlic is too much, you can add more chickpeas â or embrace the greatness of garlic
Transfer to a bowl and top with good olive oil. Sprinkle with tomato powder and paprika, if using. Optionally top with chopped parsley.
Soy Milk
One of the strangest bean myths is around soybeans and estrogen â itâs a very Western world argument, since half the human population has relied on soybeans for thousands of years without problems. Iâm not worried about it.
My bigger concern with soy milk and tofu is the poor quality we have available at grocery stores. I started making my own soy milk and tofu last year because the quality difference is night and day. I detest soy milk from the store, the texture is somehow both thin and gluey, the taste is metallic. It has 40 calories because itâs not soy milk but chemically thickened water. This allows producers to increase their margin by marketing it as a low calorie health food, while only using 25% of the soybeans you would at home.
Home-made soy milk is creamy, nutty, and delicious. Nutritionally, homemade soy milk is comparable to dairy milk â with 7g protein, 4g fat, 8g carbs (1g sugar)⊠but only if you make it.
And making soy milk is more tedious than oat, almond, or cashew milk â you have to cook it o make it safe to eat. Itâs worth it. It is far more nutrient dense â the most protein you can get in a non-dairy milk, with a beautiful texture. It works great in cooking and baking.
There are three different methods of making soy milk, depending on what intensity of flavour you like. Depending on when you boil the soybeans the flavour will change dramatically.
Method 1: Soy milk with an intense flavour â ideal for tofu
Soak â Boil â Blend â Strain
Boiling whole beans creates a very intense grassy, beany flavour with a rich texture. This is great for making tofu, but not my favourite to drink a glass of soy milk.
Method 2: Soy milk with a balance of texture and flavour
Soak â Blend â Boil â Strain
Boiling puree creates the most luxurious, velvety soy milk with a sweet and intense flavour â itâs not very beany, but it you can tell it is soy milk.
Method 3: Neutral tasting, sweet milk â ideal as a dairy replacement
Soak â Blend â Strain â Boil
Boiling strained milk creates the sweetest, most neutral flavoured soy milk â you can barely tell it is made from beans. If you add a tiny bit of sugar and some vanilla youâd be fooled into thinking its milk.
Soy Milk Recipe
Ingredients
* 1/2 cup dried yellow soybeans
* 1 small piece kombu (optional)
* Water
To make 1L | 1 quart of soy milk:
* Rinse, then soak your soybeans at least 4 hours in cool, clean water that covers the beans by at least 2â. Optionally, add a piece of kombu.
* After soaking, remove the kombu, drain the soaking water, and rinse the beans â this helps minimize foaming and reduces bean flavour.
* Add your beans to a mixer or food processor with 2 cups of cold water. Blend into a puree.
* After blending, add 2 more cups of water and stir (donât blend!). If you blend with all 4 cups of water the proteins in the soybeans will create a tremendous amount of foam.
* Pour the soy mixture through a nut milk bag or fine cheesecloth. The leftover pulp is called Okara, which can be used to add protein and fibre to other dishes like stir fry, or added to baking recipes like muffins. You can also compost it. It goes sour pretty quickly, so if you plan to use it, use it in 1â2 days.
* You must cook the soy milk for it to be safe to drink.
* Add the strained soy milk to a large pot, bring it to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for at least 10 minutes. Allow to cool fully.
* Optionally, you can add 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
* Store soy milk in a glass carafe in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes:
Look for organic, non-GMO, Canadian grown yellow soybeans (in Canada). In the US, look for organic Laura soybeans which are a special variety of yellow soybeans that make excellent soy milk (not available in Canada).
With your own soy milk you can also make your own tofu. Itâs very similar to making ricotta. The taste and texture is incomparable to the kind you get at the store but it does require a special tofu press and a seawater-based coagulant. If you plan to make your own tofu, try the other cooking methods which create a stronger, beanier flavour.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit probablyworthsharing.substack.com -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
Probably Worth Sharing is a reader supported publication. Consider a free or paid subscription to support my work. Paid subscribers get printable, PDF copies of recipes!
Links are in order of appearance:
Buttery French TV Snacks: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015808-buttery-french-tv-snacks
My giveaway on Instagram
James Hoffman's history of tiramisu
My essay on The Last of Us episode 3, Long, Long Time for the Bill & Frank reference.
The Sustainable Market
Full Circle
How do you like your coffee? Crisp!
Donât support Nestle
James Hoffman trying 38 brands of Instant Cofffee
Phil & Sebastianâs âThe Standardâ
âSweet Shopâ from Square Mile
My essay on additives in dairy products
#90 reusable cheesecloth
RECIPE LINKS:
Ladyfingers
Mascarpone Cheese
Strawberry Latte Tiramisu
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit probablyworthsharing.substack.com -
Probably Worth Sharing is made by possible by people like you! Please consider a paid subscription at https://probablyworthsharing.substack.com/
Morning bun granola recipe: https://probablyworthsharing.com/recipes/morning-bun-granola
Oreo-inspired granola: https://probablyworthsharing.com/recipes/oreo-inspired-granola
Rancho Gordo beans: https://www.ranchogordo.com
A few different meta analysis studies say 1.62g per kg of body weight is the optimal amount if you are active and trying to change your body composition.
Powder
I buy SunWarrior Warrior Blend protein (natural flavour, which has no additives â the flavours do, and basically every protein powder out there has gums added for a creamy mouthfeel). 23g per shake, 2 shakes per day.
I also add collagen for another 10g of protein in each shake. (Not sponsored)
Bone broth
I buy Beckâs Broth, which is made locally in Kitchener and ships across Ontario. Beck makes a hot chocolate flavour, which literally tastes like chocolate milk (15g sugar from honey) and a coffee flavour (made with cold brew coffee, no added sugar). 15g of protein per jar. (Not sponsored)
Morning Bun Granola
* 500g old fashioned oats
* 100g butter, melted (optionally: brown the butter, olive oil also works great)
* 100g maple syrup
* 200g pecans
* 3g | 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp ground cardamom
* Zest of 2 oranges
* 100g raisins (optional, add after baking)
In a large bowl add your oats and set aside. In a medium bowl or measuring glass, add the melted butter, maple syrup, spices, and orange zest into a container to combine. Pour the butter/maple mixture on top of the granola and toss to combine. Add the nuts, toss again, then pour onto a baking sheet.
Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes, mixing after about 10 minutes to release steam and re-distribute the oats.
After it cools add the raisins. Do not bake the raisins. I donât know why I tried baking the raisins but I did that three times.
Follow this technique for most dessert-inspired granolas likeâŠ
Baklava: pistachios, butter, honey, 1 tbsp rose water, 1 tbsp cinnamon, zest of 2 oranges
Carrot cake: chopped walnuts, butter, brown sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice or clove, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, zest of 2 lemons (add sunflower seeds for extra protein or dried pineapple if youâre one of those people)
Coconut cream pie: unsweetened shredded coconut, virgin coconut oil, cane sugar, and zest of 2â3 limes (optional slivered almonds for added protein)
Lemon poppyseed loaf: 50g poppyseeds, neutral oil (like grapeseed), cane sugar, zest of 3 lemons, juice of 1 lemon (optionally add a nut or seed of your choice for additional protein)
Pumpkin pie spice: pepitas (pumpkin seeds), butter, maple syrup, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp clove (serve on roasted/mashed pumpkin with some maple syrup!)
Gingerbread: butter, molasses, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp clove (optionally add a nut or seed of your choice for additional protein)
Oreo-inspired Granola
The mixing technique is different here. The first time I made this I followed my normal technique, but the cocoa powder will absorb all of the butter and make little chunks of cocoa, which taste good, but not what you want here.
Oreos get their colour and flavour from black cocoa. Black cocoa is made by heavily alkalizing it (generally with potassium carbonate), which makes it very dark and very sweet. A little bit of black cocoa goes a long way. When paired with yogurt this really tastes like Oreos. Black cocoa doesnât have a lot of other uses in the kitchen, but it is really good sprinkled on a latte.
Regular Dutch processed cocoa (alkalized cocoa, medium brown colour) wonât taste like Oreos, it will taste like chocolate. Black cocoa is black.
Ingredients:
* 500g oats
* 100g butter, melted
* 100g cane sugar
* 50g black cocoa
* Optionally you could add any kind of nut, I really like macadamia nuts here, but if you are an Oreo purist you can leave them out
Mix the oats and butter in a large bowl to coat the oats. Add the sugar and toss to combine. Add the cocoa and toss to combine. Itâs very important to do this sequentially, because you want the oats to absorb the butter, which will then help the cocoa and sugar adhere to the oats and the oats to brown. If you add everything at once the cocoa will absorb all of the butter before you can blink.
You can swap the butter with a neutral oil, like grapeseed oil. Optionally swap 25% of the butter or oil with virgin coconut oil (the kind that tastes like coconut) for a superb flavour.
Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes, mixing after about 10 minutes to release steam and re-distribute the oats. These oats will not get as brown as the technique above but they will still be delightfully crisp.
You can use this same technique with regular cocoa, which will taste more like regular chocolate⊠such as inâŠ
Ferrero Roche-inspired Granola
* 500g oats
* 100g butter, melted
* 100g cane sugar
* 50g cocoa powder
* 200g whole or roughly chopped hazelnuts
* 100g good dark chocolate, chopped (added after baking)
Follow the steps above, adding the nuts before baking. Cool fully before adding the chocolate.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit probablyworthsharing.substack.com
