Mango-Coconut Granola

Sometimes, we all need to be reminded of what's to come. And right now during cold but not cold Martha's Vineyard winter, the one thing I'm looking forward is to summer. Heck! I'll take spring if it just gets here fast enough!

We're all overdosing on winter comfort foods: soups, stews, curries, and creamy pastas. We forget about the bright summer fruits, that although not available fresh right now, are available in other forms. Such is the current situation for mangoes. 

Mangoes are my reference to summer. Blending fresh mangoes with a touch of cinnamon for a breakfast smoothie, or as a mid-afternoon snack during the hot days. Since fresh mangoes are not available in New England right now, I was happy to find the Bare Fruit Snacks. They offer three types of apple chips, as well as dried cherries, mangoes and pears.

Some information from their website:

• 100% Organic - Bare Fruit dried apple chips and fruit snacks are made from Certified 100% Organic Fruit, ensuring that you are getting healthy pesticide free snacks for you and your family. Even the cinnamon we use in our cinnamon apple chips is 100% organic.
• Baked, Not Fried - Bare Fruit is cored, sliced and baked in wood-burning ovens for over 10 hours, at a very low temperature, to preserve nutrients, freshness, and taste.
• Low in calories, high in fiber and naturally sweet.
• No additives, No preservatives, No added sugar
• Free of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). The fruit that we use in our dried fruit snacks comes from trees and plants from the original seed stock and not from scientifically engineered plants.
• Cholesterol Free
• 1 yr long shelf life with no refrigeration required
• Kosher and Gluten-Free

Mango-Coconut Granola
Makes 2 cups

1 package dried mango
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 cup rolled oats
1 box raisins
2 tablespoons slivered, blanched almonds
1 teaspoon molasses
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
to taste: vanilla salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves

1.  Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a baking tray with olive oil.
2. In a medium bow, mix all the ingredients together.
3. Pour on baking tray and bake for 10-20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

What would be the perfect ingredients in YOUR dream granola? 

What summer fruits do you miss? 

Disclaimer: Bare Fruit Snacks kindly sent me their dried mango chips to test and no monetary compensation was exchanged. Opinions are (and always will be) 100% my own and based on my testing.