Christina's Super Granola

from my mom

9 cups rolled oats--not quick oats or instant
1 cup chopped raw peanuts or almonds
1 cup hulled sunflower seeds or chopped pecans
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame seeds (or 1/4 each of chia and sesame)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil or olive oil--NOT extra virgin as you want the flavor to not be strong
1/2 cup honey
2 TBSP vanilla
2 TBSP molasses

Preheat oven to 275.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Whisk liquids together and add to dry ingredients. Mix until dry ingredients are coated, but not lumped together. Spread onto two cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir thoroughly. Bake for another 15 minutes and stir again. Bake another 15 minutes then allow to cool completely before storing.

After cooling, you can add up to 1 cup of All-Bran cereal (I don't do this since my children's digestive tracks don't handle it well) and any dry fruit you like.

Christina's Ultimate Ginger Cookies

These have quite the gingery kick. They are great, but it's not the type of cookie that you can just sit down and eat tons of them. I think they would be absolutely incredible with some eggnog--the perfect balance of sweet and spicy!

adapted from Ina Garten

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), lightly packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (6 oz) chopped crystallized ginger -- I used 1.5 ounces fresh grated ginger (and it was plenty) and 1.5 ounces granulated sugar
Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger (or grated fresh ginger and sugar) and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with a cookie dough scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a ball, roll in granulated sugar and then flatten lightly with your fingers. Place on the sheet pans. Bake for 8-9 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Christina's Soft Molasses Cookies with Pumpkin Dip

from Kim Moore

3/4 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Add molasses. Combine dry ingredients and mix with batter. Chill, then shape into one inch balls and roll in sugar (optional). Bake at 375 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet for 6 to 8 minutes.

Dip

4 oz cream cheese at room temp.
1/2 15 oz can pumpkin
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin and beat well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill.