It is often sited that a common trait shared by happy people is that they find joy in the little things in life. I try to keep this in mind but of course I don't remember it often enough. I woke up this morning to a house filled with sunlight and all the little ailments that had been bothering me for the last two weeks are no more. Finally, I don't feel like a walking germ petri dish anymore! This is definitely a cause for celebration and I decided to bake something for myself.
I rarely bake for myself. Nine times out of ten, I bake for love ones or out of curiosity when I encounter intriguing recipes. Friends marvel at my so-call self-control for not turning into a whale ages ago. The truth is, I simply don't bake to satisfy my own cravings for sweets. However, when I do crave something, you can be sure that I will consume my own creation with healthy appetite. I've written about my love for granola before. Since I met my favourite recipe earlier this year, I have to exercise much restraint so I do not keep batches of granola around me at all times. Like I said, today I feel like celebrating and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than making a treat for myself.
I made a variation that I like to call Pumpkin Pie Maple Pecan Granola. First, I do not have any spotty bananas in the house. Secondly, my local supermarket only stock large cans of pumpkin puree so I always seem to have leftovers kicking around in the freezer. Building up from pumpkin puree, I added pecans, using all maple syrup, and a smattering of pumpkin pie spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If I have pepitas in the house, they would certainly make a lovely addition too. I love the buttery taste of pecans after they've been toasting for a long time. Since I omitted honey, this granola is vegan.
I love to pick out the large morsels and just eat them like crunchy snacks. If I want to get fancy, I suppose this granola would make a great topping for pumpkin cheesecake or some maple glazed roasted pumpkins. Tasty celebration...mmmm, must remember to do this more often!