Recipes for Reindeer: How to Make Glitter Granola

 

When I was little, I remember my mom, Karen, making reindeer food during the holiday season. We would scatter it outside the night before Christmas. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like! Food for reindeer (but humans can eat it too.) What you need to know about reindeer is that they need glitter to live and deliver presents. Here, my mom is sharing her amazing recipe. FYI, this is a tasty treat that you can eat regardless of the season and it looks incredible served in crystal goblets during a party. – Kristen

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Remember when you were a kid on Christmas Eve, feeding Santa’s reindeer before going to sleep with stuff made at school from random cereal and maybe a few raisins people’s moms let them bring in to class?

This is the new Reindeer Food. Made for people to eat, it has edible glitter, white chocolate, amaretto-soaked cherries and more.

Let your days be merry and bright! Here’s the recipe:

 

Grownup Reindeer Food

 

To fill a large bowl or between 12-24 individual wineglasses

 

Ingredients

Base

3C rolled oats

2C mixed pignoli, sesame seeds and broken walnuts

1 ½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

1 stick (1/2 C) butter

½ C brown sugar

1Tbs. honey

½ tsp. vanilla

1 egg white, beaten

1/4C amaretto liquer

 

Additions

1C dried cherries

½ C amaretto

1C dried pineapple

1/2C white chocolate chips

4oz. yellow sprinkles

4oz. white chocolate balls

4oz silver dragees

20gr. edible metallic gold hearts (optional) (can be purchased at baking supply stores)

 

Directions

Base

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. In large bowl toss together oats, nuts, seeds, salt, and spices. Set aside.
3. Place butter, sugar, honey and vanilla in microwavable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or till butter is just melted.
4. Remove butter mix from microwave, add egg white and amaretto and whisk all together well.
5. Pour butter mix over oat mix, stir well.
6. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, toss, raise oven to 350 degrees F and bake another 20 minutes. If your oven runs hot, watch carefully and remove earlier if needed.
8. Remove from oven, toss again and turn oven off. Replace cookie sheet to oven and let mixture sit for another 20 minutes with oven door ajar.
9. Remove from oven, pour into bowl and let cool for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

 

Additions

1. While base is baking place dried cherries in microwavable bowl with amaretto. Microwave for one minute, remove, stir. Allow to sit to absorb liquid, stir occasionally.
2. Chop dried pineapple into approx. ¼” dice
3. When base is cool, strain cherries from liquid and pat dry with paper towels
4. Stir all additions into base till well mixed.