(Granola, Biscotti, and Zero-Waste Joy)
From Christmas Chaos to Kitchen Magic
After the whirlwind of festive baking (read: I made a beautiful Christmas cake… only for it to be raw in the middle), I was left with a bunch of leftover baking ingredients – dried fruit, coconut, oats and no idea what to do with them.
Usually, it would go stale in the back of the cupboard. But this time, I had a flash of inspiration…
Enter: ChatGPT, My Digital Baking Assistant
I opened ChatGPT and typed in a list of everything I had left from making our family Christmas cake — plus a few other odds and ends.
Here’s what I was working with:
- Oats
- Ground and flaked almonds
- Dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries, sultanas)
- Desiccated coconut
- Honey
- A couple of eggs
- Flour
- Vanilla extract
- Golden syrup
- And a strong desire not to waste a thing
Within seconds, ChatGPT gave me several ideas. I picked two that felt most me — easy, a little different, and adaptable.
So I made:
- 🍪 Biscotti
- 🥣 Granola
I’d never made either from scratch — and they both turned out beautifully.
Fruit & Nut Biscotti
Golden, crisp, and made for dunking in coffee. My husband loves them in his lunchbox, and they were the perfect way to use up my leftover baking ingredients.
Ingredients
Dry Mix:
- 2 cups (250g) plain flour
- ½ cup (50g) ground almonds
- ¾ cup (150g) sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Mix-ins:
- ½ cup flaked almonds
- ¼ cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup chopped soft apricots
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup sultanas or cranberries
Wet:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 orange or lemon (optional but lovely)
🍴 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix briefly.
- Add the fruit and nuts and stir to coat.
- In a jug, whisk together eggs, yolk, vanilla, and zest.
- Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix. A sticky dough will form.
- Too dry? Add a splash of milk.
- Too wet? Add a spoonful of flour.
- Lightly flour your hands. Shape the dough into two logs (about 6cm wide).
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and set. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes.
- Slice diagonally into 1–1.5cm thick pieces.
- Return slices to the tray, cut-side down. Bake again for 10 minutes per side until crisp.
- Let cool completely — they’ll firm up beautifully.
Tropical Fruit & Nut Granola
Crisp, coconutty, and perfect with yogurt or as an on-the-go snack. This granola is endlessly adaptable and a delicious use for those leftover baking ingredients cluttering my cupboards.
Ingredients
Dry Base:
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup flaked almonds
- ½ cup ground almonds
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- Pinch of salt
Wet Mix:
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
Add After Baking:
- ½ cup chopped soft apricots
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup sultanas
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment.
- In a big bowl, combine oats, flaked almonds, ground almonds, coconut, and salt.
- In a small pan, gently warm the honey (or syrup), oil, vanilla, and cinnamon until melted and combined.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well to coat.
- Spread evenly on the tray and bake for 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway.
- Let cool completely. Then mix in your dried fruit (you can reduce the amount if you prefer).
- Store in an airtight jar for 2–3 weeks — or freeze in portions for later.
Final Thoughts: Tiny Wins, Big Joys
Was this the most gourmet thing I’ve ever baked?
Nope.
Was it easy, frugal, joyful, and surprisingly delicious?
Absolutely.
This little experiment reminded me that:
✨ You don’t need a full recipe to get started
✨ A bit of creativity goes a long way
✨ You can use AI in a fun, practical way (no robot chefs — just a tired mum and an idea)
If you’re staring down a shelf of leftover baking ingredients, try these recipes before tossing them out.
Want to Try Using Up Your Leftover Baking Ingredients?
Leftover Ingredient Tracker — designed for real-life, real-mess kitchens like mine.
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Shop My Baking Favourites
I used up random Christmas leftovers with these — but a few tools make the magic happen every time. Here are my go-to baking essentials (affiliate links below — thank you for supporting my blog 💛):
- Reusable Parchment Sheets – No more tearing baking paper! These save time, waste, and money.
- Granola Storage Jars – I use big glass jars with airtight lids — keeps it fresh and pretty on the shelf.
- Basic Digital Kitchen Scales – If you’re winging it with leftovers, accuracy helps avoid flops!
- Mixing Bowls Set – I like having a set with pour spouts and lids — perfect for prepping ahead.
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