On this very special episode of Cooking on the Quad, Joel and Annie get up extra early to show you how to make some breakfast treats. You could make these recipes ahead of time and quickly grab on your way to class. Annie whips up some homemade toaster pastries (filled with strawberry jam and Nutella) and Joel makes a batch of maple brown sugar granola.
Toaster Pastries:
This dough is very similar to a pie dough, and you could even use the same recipe from our Thanksgiving episode (or you could do it even faster with pre-made pie dough).
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Work in one cup (2 sticks) of butter, cut into cubes. Separately, whisk together 1 egg with 2 tablespoons milk and add to the flour/butter mixture.
Knead the dough until it comes together, then form it into two rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for twenty minutes.
Meanwhile, make the jam filling by combining 3/4 cup jam, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the mass is uniform, about two minutes. Set aside.
Flour a work surface and rolls out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut off the edges so the dough is a rectangle. Cut down the center of the rectangle, and again crosswise so you have 6 equal rectangles of dough. Brush 1 beaten egg along all the edges, to act as a glue during baking. Spoon the filling onto three of the rectangles, folding over the adjacent ones to create the tops.
Move the pastries to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Seal the edges with your fingers first, and then crimp with a fork and poke holes in the tops with a fork to let out excess steam. Let these chill for 30 minutes before baking.
Brush the tops with more beaten egg to enhance browning. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 or until they are golden brown.
Granola:
Combine 3 cups rolled oats, 1 cup slivered almonds, and 6 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Combine 6 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and 3/4 teaspoons of salt. Whisk to bring the liquid together and pour over the oat mixture. Toss the oats until evenly coated and transfer to two baking pans (lined with foil so nothing sticks).
Bake at 250 degrees for 75 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Transfer the granola to a mixing bowl and add 1 cup dried cranberries. Move into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
