Sweet and Crunchy Buckwheat Groats

So, last week I wrote about cooking up buckwheat groats as a hot cereal. Let's take a 180 with this grain and turn it into a crunchy dessert topping.

The same grains that get soaked and turn slimy and turn into a soft, comforting breakfast can, instead, be transformed after that same overnight soaking into a delightful jar of unusual crisp sweetness for anything from baked apples to ice cream.

It's pretty easy. Yes, you pre soften the groats with an overnight soaking in water. After rinsing and draining as you did for the cereal prep, you put them in a sauté pan and heat to dry them out. Then you'll add a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom (or other flavors you like), along with a splash of your favorite vegetable oil. Stir it up, then place on a silpat- or parchment paper-lined sheet pan and place in a 400˚ oven. Bake for about 7 minutes, then stir it around to get it evenly cooked, and place back in the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes until the groats are nicely browned. Let them cool completely, then break up the clumps.

And that's it. How cool, right?

Sweet and Crunchy Buckwheat Groats
(printable recipe)

Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat groats
1 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola or the like)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions
1. Place the goats in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400˚.
3. Drain the water from the groats and place in a colander. Rinse thoroughly and let drain.
4. Add the groats to a sauté pan and heat to dry them out. Once they start giving off a nutty aroma and you can no longer see water streaks on the bottom of the pan (about 5 minutes), add the rest of the ingredients. Stir thoroughly and let cook another couple of minutes.
5. Spread the groats mixture evenly on a sheet pan lined with either silpat or parchment paper. Bake for about 7 minutes, then stir the mixture up and return to the oven to bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until the groats are golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool thoroughly, then break up any clumps. They can be stored in an airtight container.

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