Homemade Granola

Easy to make and on another level over store bought. Customize it to you and your families tastes.

Ingredients

  • 10 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup wheat germ
  • 1 cup ground flax seeds
  • 2 cups flake coconut
  • 2 cups raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup sesame seeds
  • 3 cups Gurley’s whole almonds, pecans, walnuts or a combination of each
  • 1 ½ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla
  • Raisins or other dried fruits as desired

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300° F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, flax seed, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and nuts. Mix well.
  3. In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil.
  4. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well-coated.
  5. Spread evenly on five 9X13 pans.
  6. Bake 20 minutes and stir. Bake another 20 minutes and remove from the oven. (Bake longer for crunchier texture.) Cool.
  7. Add raisins or other dried fruit.
  8. Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place.

Cowboy Cookies

Rough and ready cookies are full of delicious chunks. Every bite is a little different…and good!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 beaten eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 6 oz. Gurley’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1-2oz. pkg. Gurley’s Golden Recipe walnuts (coarsely chopped)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking soda together and set aside.
  3. Cream shortening and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla.
  4. Add to flour mixture and mix well.
  5. Fold in oatmeal, chocolate chips and walnuts
  6. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto cookie sheet.
  7. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Carrot Cake Cookies

These cookies are super moist and delicious. The icing makes them special.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup sugar or honey
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup carrots, cooked and mashed, cooled
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup Gurley’s Flake Coconut
  • ½ cup Gurley’s Walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • Icing:
  • ½ package powdered sugar
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • orange juice
  • ½ cup Gurley’s Walnuts, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix sugar or honey, butter, egg and carrots.
  3. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.
  4. Fold in coconut and walnuts.
  5. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto non-stick cookie sheet.
  6. Bake 12 to 14 minutes.
  7. Icing: Mix powdered sugar, orange peel and just enough orange juice to make icing desired consistency. When cooled, frost cookies and dust with walnuts.

Apple Cobbler

Delicious go to dessert for family or guests. Everyone loves Apple Cobbler!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¾ cup Gurley’s Chopped Walnuts
  • 4 cups apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and ½ cup walnuts; set aside
  3. Put apples in bottom of greased 8” x 8” pan.
  4. Sprinkle with mixture.
  5. Use this bowl to mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  6. In another bowl, combine egg, milk and butter.
  7. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
  8. Pour over apples.
  9. Sprinkle remaining walnuts on top.
  10. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes.
  11. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cranberry Pecan Sandies

Super easy recipe that is simply delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 package (15.6 ounces) cranberry-orange quick bread mix
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • ¾ cup Gurley’s chopped pecans
  • Gurley’s pecan halves
  • ORANGE GLAZE:
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 to 4 teaspoons orange juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the bread mix, butter, egg and orange juice.
  3. Stir in chopped pecans. Roll into 1-in. balls.
  4. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  5. Flatten with the bottom of a glass coated with cooking spray.
  6. Press a pecan half into center of each cookie.
  7. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
  8. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.
  9. In a small bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar and enough orange juice to achieve desired consistency.
  10. Drizzle across cooled cookies.
  11. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.

Fresh Apple Cake

This apple cake gets better the second day, when the apples’ juices seep into the cake. The apple cake, a winner here at Gurley’s all year long.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups oil
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups apples, chopped
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Chopped Walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix sugar and oil then beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
  4. Blend slowly into first mixture.
  5. Fold in apples and walnuts (prior to mixing, look through walnuts for possible shells and discard if found).
  6. Pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan.
  7. Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Bread

This moist, quick pumpkin bread is made from canned pumpkin, resulting in a stronger pumpkin taste. Of course Gurley’s Walnuts give it that final taste of the Harvest Season.

Excellent served warm with some vanilla ice cream on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1-15 oz canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups of white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp of flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Walnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar.
  4. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
  5. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until well combined, fold in walnuts.
  6. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
  7. Bake in the oven for 55-65 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.

Walnut Cinnamon Yeast Bread (Iowa State Fair Winner!)

2016 Iowa State Fair winner and for good reason. Absolutely delicious toasted and spread with a little butter and honey.

Ingredients

  • 5 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 pkgs. regular dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs (room temp.)
  • 1-5oz. pkg. Gurley’s walnuts (chopped very small)
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1 egg white

Instructions

  1. In large mixer bowl combine 2 1/2 cups flour and the yeast. In saucepan, combine butter, milk, sugar, honey and salt. Heat till warm (115-120°). Add this liquid mixture to mixer bowl and beat thoroughly. Add the eggs and another 2 1/2 cups of flour and beat well. Add the walnuts, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup of flour and beat until dough is stiff. Turn out on floured surface, knead 4 minutes. Place in very large bowl – cover – let rise double. Punch down and divide into 2 equal portions. Shape loaves, place into greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Whisk 1 egg white with 1 Tbsp. water and use to brush atop loaves. Let rise until light. Bake at 350° 45-50 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on rack.

Chocolate Almond Torte

Elegant dessert for a special event or someone special

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup Gurley’s sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1 ¼ cups Gurley’s semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Set aside 2 tablespoons almonds for garnish. Coarsely chop remaining almonds and sprinkle into a greased 9-in. spring-form (cheesecake) pan.
  2. On a stovetop on low heat, melt chocolate chips stirring until smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  4. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved.
  5. Pour gelatin and melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture and blend in until smooth.
  6. Fold in whipped whipping cream.
  7. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with reserved almonds and a light coating of powdered sugar.
  8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Erna’s Gourmet Chocolate Cake

This state fair winner is completely from scratch. Taste the difference of real chocolate cake and homemade icing. This will become your family’s requested birthday cake.

Ingredients

  • 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 ¼ cups brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 ¼ tsp vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • Frosting:
  • 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • Gurley’s Walnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt chocolate in a small bowl in microwave at 50% power, stir often until melted; let cool. Grease and flour 2 cake pans.
  3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter.
  4. Add brown sugar and eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
  5. Add melted chocolate and vanilla.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
  7. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream.
  8. Mix in boiling water. Batter will be thin.
  9. Pour into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  10. Let cake cool completely before frosting.
  11. Homemade Frosting:
  12. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave.
  13. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, milk and vanilla.
  14. Add the chocolate mixture.
  15. Put this bowl in a larger bowl of ice and stir until frosting is firm enough to spread.
  16. Garnish with walnuts.